Volcano
by John Sainsbury
On my desk at work, I have a small lump of jagged rock. It’s not particularly attractive and certainly isn’t nice to hold. It has no smell to it and, if you saw it, you might well wonder why I haven’t just thrown it away. But this rock reminds me of a trip I made some years ago to the Democratic Republic of Congo, when a small group of us went to visit, and help, in a small hospital in the war-torn region of Goma. The rock came from that region and is actually a piece of volcanic lava that was spued out of Mount Nyiragongo when it erupted in January 2002. The same volcano erupted again recently bringing terror to many who live within its reach.
When I read the words of psalmist about the earth giving way and the mountains falling into the heart of the sea, it makes me wonder if he has witnessed a volcanic eruption, when the molten lava poured forth down a mountain side into the surging sea. To see such a sight must be utterly terrifying, when even the very rocks of the earth are on the move.
Sometimes our lives can feel a bit like that. Our foundations can feel like they are shifting and all that we felt secure suddenly isn’t. What do we cling on to then? The psalmist reminds us that there is One who is even more secure than the mountains, One who is an ever-present help in trouble, One who is so stable that we need not fear in any situation, even the most devastating.
Whatever situation you find yourself in today, may God be your refuge and strength, even if the mountains quake!
Prayer: Dear Father God, thank You that whatever situation I find myself in, even when it feels like even the most solid foundation in my life is suddenly shifting, I can know for sure that You will never leave me nor forsake me, that You are my ever-present help in trouble, my refuge and my strength. Amen.
John Sainsbury and his wife Sue are part of the leadership team at Ellel Grange. John has served as a church leader for many years, most recently as Lead Pastor of the Garstang Free Methodist Church. He has a passion for seeing many brought into the fulness of life that following Christ brings.
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