Verse of the Day 7/5

Verse of the Day 7/5

Isaiah 26:4   Trust in the Lord forever,

    for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.    English Standard Version (ESV)

I've posted Isaiah 26:3 many times over the years as the verse of the day which says that God "will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!";  and have included verse 4, but today I'd like to focus on Verse 4.

God is our Rock, our everlasting Rock, our Fortress (Psalm 46), a rock that never changes and will always be there.  Years ago on a family vacation we visited Plymouth MA and, as most tourist do, visited the Plymouth Rock where William Bradford and the Mayflower pilgrims disembarked from the ship and formed a colony.  Seeing the rock now, it is not so impressive.  The rock split in half when an attempt was made move it and it has weathered and worn by storms and waves over the years .  Now a canopy has been built around it to protect it.

Our God is an "everlasting rock", impervious to the elements of change.  He won't be broken and He needs no one to erect anything to protect Him.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever.  He is our hope through all of our storms in life, and won't be moved, won't break in half, or be worn down.  We can put our faith and trust in Him.

Charles Spurgeon writes, "We have been in many trials, but we have never yet been cast where we could not find in our God all that we needed. Let us then be encouraged to trust in the Lord forever, assured that his ever lasting strength will be, as it has been, our succour and stay."    The word succour is not often used today, it means "assistance and support in times of hardship and distress".  He is our hope, our support and stay.

I'm reminded of the old hymn "My Hope is Built on Nothing Less".

  My hope is built on nothing less  Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;  I dare not trust the sweetest frame,  But wholly lean on Jesus' name.   On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;  All other ground is sinking sand,    All other ground is sinking sand.    His oath, His covenant, His blood,  Support me in the whelming flood;  When all around my soul gives way,  He then is all my hope and stay.  

May He be your rock, your hope and stay today.

--   In Christ,  Mike    Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com  Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,  in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV    

Isaiah 26:1-4 New Living Translation (NLT)

A Song of Praise to the Lord

26 In that day, everyone in the land of Judah will sing this song:

Our city is strong!
    We are surrounded by the walls of God's salvation.
² Open the gates to all who are righteous;
    allow the faithful to enter.
³ You will keep in perfect peace
    all who trust in you,
    all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
⁴ Trust in the Lord always,
    for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.