Standing on The Solid Rock, Jesus Christ, During the Coronavirus Epidemic

Dear Fellow Children of God,



On Thursday morning, March 12, Kathy and I left on a road trip we had planned for about 6 months.  We would attend and celebrate the wedding of our niece, Lauren Tobin, in Memphis, TN.  At the end of the month, we would attend a quilting conference in Little Rock AR, which Kathy has participated in for the last 5 years.  In between these two major events, we were going to visit The Grand Ole’ Opry in Nashville, see a few national parks, and spend time with friends who had invited us to come visit.  On Wednesday before we left on our trip, the news had hit that a pro basketball player had tested positive for COVID-19, coronavirus, and that the National Basketball Association would suspend games for 2 weeks.  But, as we drove north on Thursday listening to the radio, the world changed around us.  Other sports followed suit and shut down, but for longer than 2 weeks.  Universities closed and college sports were suspended.   The Stock Market fell, and then dropped again.  People were told to stay away from gatherings of 250 people or more, which then became 50 people or more.  At first Kathy’s quilting conference would still be held.  But then, the Southern Belles’ Quilting Conference was also cancelled.  The Grand Ole Opry shut down.  And, wisdom suggested maybe we shouldn’t visit friends, just to be safe.  In 48 hours our plans, and our entire world had changed.  Your world changed too.  In fact, we are as still unsure how much change we are facing.



As we sat in the church at Lauren and Aaron’s wedding, with questions about what was happening in the world around us, we sang hymns in celebration of the Lord’s presence for the marriage of this couple.  In the midst of the swirling questions in my mind, the words of these hymns struck me with the comfort of the Gospel of Jesus in the midst of life’s uncertainties. 



For the opening hymn of the wedding we sang, “In Christ Alone,” by Keith and Kristyn Getty.  Please listen to and consider these words of this hymn.  Sitting in the pew, on the first weekend of coronavirus changes, I heard:

“In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song;
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All, here in the love of Christ I stand.”

To hear and to be reminded that that Christ is “firm through the fiercest drought and storm” spoke to my heart and to my soul.  To be told again that in Christ are “depths of peace, when fears are stilled, when strivings cease” did bring me peace.  I felt, as this song reminded me the truth of God’s word, that I could do what the song declared, “Here in the love of Christ I STAND!”



We sang all the words of this hymn, but the last verse especially lifted my spirit as well.

“No guilt in life, no fear in death, This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath. Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man, Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home, Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

Yes, Jesus is with me (and us) “in life” and “in death.”  “Nothing CAN pluck me from His hand.”  So, because Jesus died and rose for me, the last line of this hymn is true, for me, and for you.  “Till He returns or calls me home, Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.” 



We later sang, “My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less,” an older hymn found in most traditional hymnals.  Listen to and consider what these words tell us in our changing world.

My hope is built on nothing less, Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;

No merit of my own I claim, 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.

There are many things in this life on which we have depended.  They are all “sinking sand.”  Only Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, is a Solid Rock!  And, listen to what we sang in the third verse of this hymn.

His oath, His covenant and blood, Support me in the raging flood;

When ev’ry earthly prop gives way, He then is all my hope and stay.

On Christ, the solid rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand.

All other ground is sinking sand.

When the “floods” of this life “overwhelm” us, when “every earthly prop gives way,” we can stand on Jesus.  His love is sure.  The forgiveness and the eternal life Jesus offers, because of His life and death and resurrection, are sure, no matter what virus rages and overwhelms. 



Some hear the words of Romans 8 in these hymns. (See Romans 8:28, 35-39)  But, one of my favorite books of Scripture, and one of my favorite verses in that book, comes from 2 Corinthians 1:8-10.  Do not these hymns echo these inspired words of Paul in Scripture? “8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us,”



When we go through the changes and chances of life, when we face hardships, and we wonder if we will endure, our Lord is teaching us to “not rely on ourselves, but on God, who raises the dead.”  God gives His help and deliverance in this world.  Our Lord’s eternal deliverance in Jesus is sure for all who believe in Him.  In this time of growing change, we can rely on the power, on the love, on the earthly deliverance and on the eternal deliverance we have in Jesus.



Kathy and I were married in Memphis on August 20, 1977.  Our wedding would have already been memorable, but some guy named “Elvis” died in Memphis on the Tuesday before our wedding.  So, hotel rooms and flowers were nowhere to be found.  We have stories!  Aaron and Lauren Lies (pronounced ‘Lees) were married in the midst of the coronavirus epidemic.  They too have stories to tell.  Yet, in the shifting sand of our world, Lauren and Aaron witnessed to The Solid Rock.  They pointed us to Jesus, on whom they hope to stand.  They witnessed to Jesus who is always our Solid Rock.  Thank you, Lauren and Aaron!



A Child of God, Standing on The Solid Rock, Jesus Christ, During the Coronavirus Epidemic,

Pastor Jonathan



P.S.   Here are some YouTube videos of the hymns we sang

·       In Christ Alone - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLy8ksqGf9w

·       On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhVwVHC6_n0

P.P.S.  Here are some pictures from the wedding.  https://photos.app.goo.gl/T6UwWPWWLwgSZwgm6



P.P.P.S.  I did go fishing on Tuesday, March 17, with my brother-in-law, Mark Reaves.  All we caught were bowfin – or, mudfish!  We did see a LOT of gators.  But the big event – “lowlight” of the trip was when my battery failed on my boat.  We had used the trolling motor to go downstream about 3 or 4 miles.  So, we were towed back to the landing, thanks to a very kind family!

*****

ABOUT THIS DEVOTION - I am now retired as senior pastor of St. John Lutheran in Palmer, AK.  This devotion was previously titled, "Thoughts from the Pastor."  However, with life's changes I will now call it "Journeys Through Life as a Child of God."  I am only sending this message to those who have asked o receive it.  If you know someone else who desires to receive this message, have them e-mail me at jonrock53@mtaonline.net.  You can also view this message on my Facebook page.

            A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME WHY THEY ARE NO LONGER RECEIVING MY DEVOTIONS.  Since I’m only sending these e-mails to people who ask for them, many are no longer receiving them.  BUT, if you read this on Facebook and would like to receive them, or if you know someone who would like to receive these devotions, send me an e-mail at jonrock53@mtaonline.net, and I will add you to my distribution list.

Jonathan Rockey

Child of God

Husband, Father, Son, Grandfather

Pastor Emeritus, St. John Lutheran Church

907-841-4066 – cell

907-746-5131 – home