Yes, I’m thinking of the old hymn, “Rock of Ages, cleft for me.”  Perhaps it’s a strange metaphor to think of Jesus as a rock with a fissure.  But, that’s exactly how Augustus Toplady expressed it in 1776.

“Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From thy wounded side which flowed
Be of sin the double cure;
Save from wrath and make me pure.”*

Are your mountains crumbling?  Does it feel like your sky is falling down?  Are you caught in a storm and headed in the wrong direction?  Whatever you need protection from, Jesus is there, standing by you. You can sprint to your “rock.”  You can hide yourself in the cleft.  It’s a spot where you will be safe from any storm. 

You may be reminded of the more contemporary lyrics by Ben E. King in the song, “Stand by Me.”

“If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
Or the mountains should crumble to the sea
I won’t cry, I won’t cry
No, I won’t shed a tear
Just as long as you stand, stand by me.”*

Except in this song, it is “his darlin” who will stand by him. Now that’s a good thing but counting on our Lord Jesus in these circumstances sounds far more secure to me. Jesus, the Rock of Ages, that’s what I truly want.  How about you?

Hope you enjoy this old favorite recorded by the Vagle Brothers in 2015.

Judy

*Rock of Ages, Augustus Toplady 1776.
*Stand by Me, Ben E. King