Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn. –Isaiah 51:1
Since time out of mind people have wondered at the ingenuity of those capable of building structures that can stand the test of time. One can still travel around the world and see the pyramids, Stonehenge, the Roman Coliseum, and the Great Wall of China to name a few. These amazing structures have withstood the elements, wars, and centuries of time because they were made from stone. The process of carving, cutting, and shaping the stones needed for these buildings would impress even the most advanced stone cutter of our time.
Consider how that the stone used in a building is only as strong as the stone from which it was taken. Builders understand that in order to construct something that will stand for generations they must start at a quarry where the best rock can be found. From there they take the stones needed. Likewise, our Christian faith is not based upon ourselves, but rather upon the One who made faith possible in the first place. We look to Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith as the solid foundation upon which we can stand the test of time. If we seek to hew our faith from the shifting sands of chance, fate, and our own abilities, we will have a life-structure that will not endure when the hard times come. But when we have built our lives upon the solid rock of Jesus Christ the result will be strength, power, and stability – faith that will not falter during the storms and trials of life.
Just as Isaiah the Prophet challenged the Israelites of his time to look to God, the rock from which they were hewn, we also are challenged to look to Christ. By looking to the Lord they would find the strength and power needed to stand firm and be the people God had called them to be. Like God’s people of old, we too can look to the Lord for strength during the trials of life. Our own strength will fail us, but Christ will never fail.
Look to Jesus, for He will never let us down and He will never forsake us.
