Monday, August 20, 2007

Monday Moment: Cleft of the Rock

When my glory passes by,
I will put you in a cleft in the rock
and cover you with my hand
until I have passed by.
-Exodus 33:22

If you had asked me, prior to last week, what it took to climb a mountain, I would have shrugged. I guess getting up a mountain is no different than getting through a grocery store, I would have said. You do it one step at a time.

Ha. True, but ha.

Let me tell you what I learned this week: there are so many factors that go into hiking a mountain. First of all, tennis shoes hardly cut it. I know this because the second day on the mountain I chucked my hiking boots in favor of tennis shoes because my feet were killing me. Stupid, stupid, stupid. My inner thighs ache because of the splits I did when one foot (usually my left), would suddenly and violently slip away from the rest of my body. As the rocks and sand I disturbed would slide, slide, slide away, my heart would pound as I pulled my wayward left foot back to me, like closing a pair of scissors. Yikes.

Secondly, water. Even if you don't drink enough of it in your daily life, you will on a mountain. And it's amazing. You drink four bottles of it, one after the other, and never have to use the restroom. Which, as it turns out, is a good thing.

And, of course, there's the sheer elevation of the whole endeavor. Two steps and your head is swimming. Ten steps and you're panting and gasping. Twenty steps and you want to throw up. I mean, no kidding, we had a hard time getting sparks to spark up there, there's so little oxygen.

Yep, mountains aren't like grocery stores. On a mountain, even the most elementary of tasks become a monumental challenge. You find yourself praying for level terrain. For a cleft in the rock.

My point today, although I'm really too exhausted to have one, is this: there are days ... times ... in our life when we're doing well just to put one foot in front of the other. Right? There are moments we're battling to breathe. Fighting for footing. Struggling to stay where we are. Even as Christians, we can spend days... months... years, even... simply clinging to the Rock... not advancing, not retreating, but just hanging on.

And if... like me on that mountain outside Saltillo... you're just hanging on today, that's okay. Our God is faithful and mindful of your place. Of your location. And as He passes by - just as He did for Moses - He can put you in a cleft in your rock and cover you there with His hand.

So hold tight to the Rock. But at the same time, let the same God who covered Moses provide a shelter for you in your time of need, too. He will be faithful to cover and hide you as everything passes over. And when it has... when it's all blown by... He can set your feet upon the rock once more.

You can learn a lot on a mountain. But you can learn even more in a cleft.

Praise God.

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,
A wonderful Savior to me;
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,
Where rivers of pleasure I see.
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He hideth my life with the depths of His love,
And covers me there with His hand,
And covers me there with His hand.
-Fanny Crosby, 1890


Monday Moment is a little devotional to help kick-start your week. Hope to see you again next Monday!

10 comments:

Brambleberry said...

Beautiful. Thank you.

Anonymous said...

You are such an inspiring woman! I would like to do have of what you do. To have the courage to do half of what you do! I love reading in your blog about your blind faith; about how you just close your eyes, jump, and say catch me daddy! I wish my Christian walk like that a little more often!

Anonymous said...

I am glad that you are back! I really missed your blogs. Hope you had a relaxing time.

Amber

Alice said...

Stunning photos to go with your beautiful message.

Anonymous said...

'He covers me there with His Hand'..how precious those words are!
How you must have felt that there up on that mountain...

Adrienne said...

Beautifully said, Brin. Not long ago I shared about the cleft of the rock on my blog. But from a different perspective. We used to live on the southern coast of Oregon. It is marked by huge rocks all along the shore - in the water and in the sand. I shared how we learned about the cleft of the rocks and then shared about God hiding and covering us there and that wonderful - one of my favorites! - hymn. Thank you for your thoughts today. Congratulations on your climb. ~Adrienne~

Unknown said...

I hope you don't mind me visiting your beautiful blog! I am adding it to my favorites list! I love the photos and the message. Thank you so much for sharing. And I am inspired by the Freeman House. This will be quite a journey my friend! :)

BellaColle said...

Hi! soo glad you made it home! Some times in life that's all I've had is His Hand putting in the cleft... looking back and see 'Oh, yeah He didn't leave me hanging there...or it would have been 10x's worse!' Thank you for the reminder of this.

Anonymous said...

Gee, I feel like I've been in the mountains, too.....thanks for the inspiration in a thousand different ways. Glad you are home safe. Glad it was a safe adventure. Let's go somewhere else really soon!

Love.

Seawashed said...

I just love your writings, even when you are tired you build us(the body of Christ) up. Thank you. My favorite Scripture about being in 'the cleft of the rock' is Song of Solomon 2:14. I began studying Song of Solomon 8 years ago, and still do not tire of the revelation I receive from it of Christ's fiery heart of love for His bride. I even did a tiny watercolor painting of a mountain side and put this verse on it.

And your advice about 'climbing a mountain' is helpful for my teenage daughter who will be going to Peru next year. thank you again!