Stand Firm!

Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
….go into his courts with praise.
….Give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good.
….His unfailing love continues forever,
….and his faithfulness continues to each generation. Psalm 100:4-5 NLT

1 Peter 5:12-14 (<<click here to read the passage)

Peter’s purpose in writing this epistle – this letter – was “to encourage…and assure [us all] that what [we] are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for [us].” Then he states, “Stand firm in this grace.” NLT

Lord, as I sat here pondering these words, my mind was working in the attempt to form a picture, an example, of what it means. As I did so something that took place in the Old Testament came to mind and along with it a correlating hymn.

The Old Testament story is from Exodus 33:12-23. Moses and God had a very close relationship – they spent a lot of time together. Moses was the voice piece of God to the people of Israel. In the course of establishing his place in the will of God, he asked God, “Now show me your glory.” God agreed to do so. All His “goodness” would “pass in front of [Moses].” He would “proclaim [His] name, the Lord, in [Moses’] presence.” God spoke of having mercy and compassion on whom He chose. In connection to today’s passage, I believe His grace fits in here as well.

But because no one sees God’s face and lives (v20) due to the purity of His holiness he placed Moses in a “cleft of the rock” and covered Moses with His hand until He passed by. He saw God’s back but not His face.

No matter what life throws at us, we are truly in God’s hands, and we can “stand firm in this grace.” Absolutely nothing can separate us from God’s love. Romans 8:38-39

Oh, and that hymn? It is He Hideth My Soul written by Fanny Crosby.

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.

Refrain
He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock
That shadows a dry, thirsty land;
He hideth my life in the depths of His love,
And covers me there with His hand,
And covers me there with His hand.

A wonderful Savior is Jesus, my Lord,
He taketh my burden away;
He holdeth me up, and I shall not be moved,
He giveth me strength for each day.

Refrain

Lord, I cling to Your mercy, compassion, and grace. Amen.

Here is a beautiful rendition by The Haven of Rest Quartet. (It’s an older post, so the video’s a bit grainy, but the audio is wonderful!)

(Feb 25^th, 2017, Sat, 6:25 am)
Apr 13^th, 2023, Thurs, 8:37 pm