Apples of Gold

I was blessed to grow up in a church that majored on the hymns. The rich doctrine woven into many of them helped me to pound out my theology. The last several weeks Rock of Ages has been on my mind. 

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. 

This song came to mind when I was going through a particularly difficult time and hiding was very much on my mind. The thought of escaping somewhere, alone with the Lord, was perhaps a tad selfish but it seemed a very desirable alternative to facing my present reality.   I was craving a break, even a short one from “peopling”.  

Apparently David also had moments like this:

You hide them in the shelter of your presence, safe from those who conspire against them. You shelter them in your presence, far from accusing tongues. Psalm 31:20

From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. Psalm 61:2-3

A deserted island somewhere in the Pacific, with my Bible and maybe a limited food supply sounded like a good destination. Jesus gives us an invitation to do just this:

Then Jesus said, Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile. Mark 6:31

This is a time to reflect on what is really important, the double cure. I love that description; double cure-save from wrath and make me pure. Jesus is not the kind of friend that allows us to wallow in self-pity as we rehash the unfair treatment we have experienced. In fact, just catching a glimpse of the heart of Jesus and reflecting on the things he so willingly endured on our behalf seems to quickly diminish the severity of our own woes and put things into a healthy perspective.

The power of the blood of Jesus in our lives is humbling, exciting and convicting. I deserve wrath. I have fallen on my face plenty of times and yet Jesus graciously forgives me. Not only does he forgive but he makes me pure; forgiven and restored. 

As we meditate on the double cure frustration melts away, being replaced by gratefulness and awe. Our initial desire to escape from reality morphs into something powerful as the presence of God works upon our hearts and minds. This principle is powerfully displayed in several different Psalms.

O LORD, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand? Turn and answer me, O LORD my God! Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die. Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!”  Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall. But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the LORD because he is good to me. Psalm 13

It is no coincidence that David goes from depressed to blessed during his conversation with God. We would do well to apply this principle during our dark times. As David prays, nothing visibly changed in his immediate circumstances but everything changed in his outlook. 

This process is actually part of the double cure. Being purified is not for the faint of heart. 

So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold-though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 1 Peter 1:6-7

Remind yourself that it is worth it. Remind yourself that God is for you. Readjust your grip, and hold on with all the strength you can muster. 

So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Hebrews 12:12

God will not waste the struggles he allows to cross our paths. Let’s not waste them either!