On This Rock… Hello to my Hump Day readers! Up here in northern New Mexico we have several areas declared as geological anomalies. Al and I have been to these places where we have found pure white quartz with veins of gold and silver. Some of them are boulders so big you could call them a small mountain! One time I shouted out “God, how did you do this and thank you for doing it!” I know, you must think I have rocks in my head. Hang on, we’re going on an adventurous devotion with rocks! (I promise there will be no rock-slides!)

Did you know that our planet is nearly 8,078 miles across. It has a thin skin of water, in oceans, lakes and rivers, and an even thinner living skin of soil and vegetation, with a huge atmosphere above. Yet, Earth is nearly all rock, from which the water, air, soil and life have all emerged, and on which they are utterly dependent. Rocks are the foundation of our lives. Long before my younger sister became a geologist, I was always a rock-hound. Small, large, all kinds of colors, captivated by senses. I could say “rocks really Rock!”

This week in my Smithsonian I was excited because they had a geologist sharing the power of rocks. With permission from the writer, I share her excitement and love of rocks. She says “Rocks tell stories of past worlds. They tell of landscapes and seascapes inhabited by dinosaurs and giant marine reptiles, by trilobites and corals – even the endless microbial layers of primeval Earth…and these stories can stretch much further. Using clues gleaned from rocks, we can evoke the speed and strength of currents that flowed in vanished rivers and long-dried seas; recreate the forces unleashed within a speeding avalanche or a meteorite strike; follow the path of white-hot magma through Earth; or simply peer several kilometers underground to where, for millions of years, subterranean fluids have trickled past and, with infinite slowness, deposited tiny mineral gardens in the spaces between sand grains. The stories held within rocks have no end. You can discover them and read them for yourself, given a little time, a sense of curiosity and a yen to puzzle through the many clues on those rocky surfaces.” Wow! My imagination went in overtime.

Rocks are ancient but, we still can learn from them. The geologist said “They are like witnesses of unknowable events and processes on Earth—witnesses we can see and investigate and learn from history. Such rocks can act as a bridge in understanding things on Earth that are hidden from us.” Perhaps that was God’s plan for rocks. After all, they are older than anything on this planet so why not learn from them? All kinds of people have ideas of how old our planet is, but in truth, only God really knows and God is unveiling evidence that has lain concealed in the rocks of Earth. Hmmm—is there is something God wants us to know about rocks?

How many times do we sing of ‘rocks’ in our worship music? Rock of Ages, Firm Foundation, Solid Rock, I Go To The Rock, Lead Me To The Rock That Is Higher Than I…and that’s just a few of many worship songs from decades ago to today. In Scripture we find a LOT of rocks going on! Here’s just a few: Psalm 18:2, 62:2, 95:1, 144:1. 1 Samuel 2:2, Matthew 16:18, Deut. 32:18, Luke 8:13, 1 Corinthians 1:4…and so many more. At Bible Gateway  put in ‘rock’ and be amazed of the many passages of Scripture that include rocks!

Some folks don’t like the idea of a cold and unliving thing such as a rock that should describe our loving God. But when you look up all the Scriptures you find God has called himself just that! So it’s really OK to call God our Rock! My favorite ‘Rock Scripture’ is Psalm 18:2 using the NLT: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.” In this crazy world we live in, who doesn’t need shelter, protection and a shield around us?

Not everybody is a ‘rock-hound’ but everybody in this world has been created by God so rocks are pretty important. Yes, it’s a choice to study rocks, but never forget that rocks have a spiritual place in our lives! Even Jesus said “Anyone who hears and obeys these teachings of mine is like a wise person who built a house on solid rock. Rain poured down, rivers flooded, and winds beat against that house. But it was built on solid rock, and so it did not fall. Anyone who hears my teachings and doesn’t obey them is like a foolish person who built a house on sand.”

Yep, rocks are strong—sand not so much. Why not be a rock-hound for Jesus? AMEN.