Standing on the Rock

Thursday, October 15, 2020 11:18

Here I am seeking the face of God, his mercy, and his love, his grace. I am seeking his grace for I am ready to face the world, devil, and all his temptations, and all types of evil.

I was taking a course called spiritual formation where you are learning to form a meaningful relationship with God through prayer and reading the word of God and through serving people in the community. I am already enjoying this course because it provided me so many wonderful learning opportunities that would help me use my knowledge and experiences I acquired throughout my walk with God. Today, we went to a nearby place where we can do our individual prayers and reflection using the place the means we chose. I am already enjoying this course because it is very engaging. Its a course that provok and challenge your thinking that make you confortable. I enjoyed part of my day because i spend most of my mornning thinking, reading nd reflecting. Mianly, I was thinking and reflecting about life, and about my journey with God. Our life and our journye with God I belive are the two most important things in this life because eveything revolve around these two things

I find myself here standing on the rock in the middle of surrounding bush. Off course, prior to that I spend time searching for a good place where I could sit or stand to think , pray, meditate and reflect. Somewhere in the middle of the the bush, a bush that was filled with dry trees and leaves, I find a small hill , a rock, that i could stand, sit to think, to pray,and to reflect. The wethere was a bit windy, and chili becausde wineter is already aproaching. I found a place to stand , it was a small hill , a rock in the middle of the bushe. I thought about the place where I was standing for a while . This is the first thought came to my mind at the moment. It was the begining of my reflection , and soon it became the theme of my entire reflection.

The thought reminded me of a place where I am standing. Using this thought, i thought we should know and undrstand as belivers where we are standing. I was staning on the Rock , and it was a reminder of my faith in JESUS , who is a Rock, a strong and sure foundation.

I realized I was standing on where Jesus is found , this is the somthing one can undrsatnd by faith. We need to undrsatnd Jesus is the rock, and the hope of our salivation. We need to know and undrstand who Jesus is and we need to belive and trsut him according to his words. This a place where we would find Jesus when we decided to come to him with humbleness and with the desire of seeking him and his face, and his grace through his words and prayer.

I learned I am standing at the promises of God, which is his words. I am here standing with gratitude, and thanksgiving in my heart because I know he has been so good to me. I give all the glory and the honor to him because he deserves all the praise and worship.

Then, I began thinking of two words came to my mind at this very time. I was thinking these two words that are used metaphorically to express the nature of God and the place where the presence of God is found. These are the words Rock and mountain, respectively.

It is evident these words are metaphorically to describe God, rock, and mountain. David in his psalms in one place he described God as a rock saying he is my rock, and my fortress, my deliverer….... Psalms 18:2-3. The word Rock is used numerous times in the Old and the New Testament. It was used in 2 Samuel 22:2; Psalms 71: 3; Psalms 62:7-8.

The other word is mountain, maintain is the place where the presence of God is found. It’s a place where we come to connect with God , it’s a place where we would meet God , it is a place where we would here from God , it could be a place where we bring our prayer, request and supplication , thanksgiving , praise and worship . It is a place where we would come to seek God. Mountain is used metaphorically also a place where people see, meet God physically. It is a place of spiritual Hight be experienced, it could be a place where valley where the presence of the Lord would be felt, it could be a place where God chose to bless someone. God appeared to his people on the mountain. In Exodus it was written, “ And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. 19And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice” Exodus 19: 16-19. Scriptures like, Psalms 97:5; indicate mountain is a place where God is present. This is what is written in the book of 1 king. It was written, “ So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 1 king 19: 11-13.

I spend hours and hours thinking, praying, and reflecting. Along the line I thought about so many things, these are some of the pick of my thoughts. I thought about my childhood experience, my adventure where I spend time exploring my surrounding. I remember well that time that I would go to a nearby forest or bush like this one to walk inside the forest. It was one of the best times and memories I hold as a child because it meant so much for me . This particular experience took me back to my childhood experience , and spend time reflecting by comparing and contrasting these two experiences.

The other thing that I used to do and love doing was sitting and listening the sound of the river water falling from the mountain to the deep gorge. We call it “foowa, fuatte” in Amharic word used to describe the sound the water when its reaching down the ground, which is often a rocky. There are times I used to love climbing to the top of the mountain throwing stone to the river, which is located deep inside the gorge. I remember the sound it produces, which is closer to the “fuaa, fuaate”. It was fun and full of adventure, because it was engaging , and also an adventure for me because I loved exploring and learning and doing something new often. Then I thought about my dreams , and aspiration in life , both in my spiritual and personal life . I thought about things and prayed, and finally surrender it to God, because he is the only one who knows, understand you . He is the one who holds anything, my life, my future , my dreams and aspirations.

The last thing came to my mind was the word of God. The word of God encourage us to trust in God , we are not only taught to have faith in him , we are also instructed to trust in him in all our heart, because it is written , “ Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. I said, Amen 🙏

Attched are some pictures.