The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in Whom I take refuge.
Psalm 18:2 NIV
I sat outside on my apartment balcony, a light breeze wisping strands of hair against my shoulders. My fingers sat atop my laptop keyboard, my heart pounding with every press of the keys. I googled, “How to write a resignation letter” and slowly began crafting my own. Was I making a massive mistake?
I had a clear path in front of me, each rung of the corporate ladder shiny and sparkling above me. I knew I could keep climbing. I could stay comfortable. But the still, small voice inside me was inviting me to leave my job and enter a new season. Truth was, I had no inkling of what that new season might contain. The idea of leaving my job felt akin to jumping off a cliff, and I hadn’t a clue what was waiting for me below.
I was an associate producer for the largest news corporation in Canada. Everyone disagreed with my decision to leave. My family. The news corp. Normally when everyone disagrees with me it’s a sure sign I ought to listen to their wisdom and not my inner rebel. But it wasn’t my inner rebel I was listening to this time . . . it was my Good Shepherd.
I’d fasted and prayed for months. I’d asked a spiritual director to talk me through the decision. And over and over, I kept getting a word from the Holy Spirit: He was my Rock.
I didn’t know what was ahead, but I knew I had a Rock to land on. I was still afraid, but I wanted to trust that God would lead me. He did.
I left the world of news producing and weeks later found myself accepting a job to plant and pastor a small church. I had planned to be a journalist, telling the truth to hundreds of thousands. Now I was a pastor, telling a far greater Truth to a congregation of eighty.
I never thought I’d find myself here. But my Rock did. And in Him, I will always take refuge.
Aliza, thank you for your message. I never imagined I would find myself where I am now — standing at the start of a path that feels bigger than I can handle. Though the road ahead is not fully clear, knowing that the Rock is with me gives me the courage to keep putting one foot in front of the other. So grateful for this reminder.
Aliza….. I have followed your writings – your story – over the past few years, and if there is one thing that has been evident, it is your faith and trust in God. You have been brave in sharing your faith journey……I know, it’s not always been easy. I’m so happy for you – the marriage, and now a church family of your own to pastor. You have been, and will be, a source of strength to all those you minister to – through your written reflections and through your pastorate. May God continue to bless you in more ways than you can imagine. Phyllis
Aliza…Your words were very helpful to me again. I will be moving to a new Senior Living facility that is so much better than where I am now. This is a new start for me and I am a bit scared, but I as you have my Rock to guide me and help me. At 78 years old, it is much more difficult then when I was in my 40’s, but your words have given me new hope that I am making the right decision. It is hard right now in our region. Temperature below 0 and even though we have sun, it is not powerful enough to melt anything so now we have ice and snow. Thank you again for you very wise words and please everyone, be safe. don’t go out unless you have to. Love to you all…………………Betsy Basile
Betsy, I’m so happy for you to be moving to a better facility. Praying you meet some other believers with whom you feel free to share and encourage. My uncle just celebrated his 90th birthday in a retirement home. The transition was hard for him (his wife died, he had to give up driving and left the lovely home he’d lived in, along with 2 dogs) but he is happy and has many friends now.
Love, Kelly
Aliza love what you wrote in today’s devotional. Yes in Jesus we have anchor that is steadfast and true. Like it says in Hebrew 6:19 ” Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil.” How true that is. Even when we feel the weight of the world on our shoulders and we feel nothing is going right. The song We Have An Anchor. The words of this song give that reassurance also.
It says it all like the Bible verse.
Verse 1: Will your anchor hold on the stroms of life, When the clouds unfold their wings of strife? When the strong tides life, and the cables strain, Will your anchor dirt or firk remain?
Chorus
We have an anchor that keeps the soup
Steadfast and sure while the billow roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Saviour’s love.
Verse 2
It is safely moored, twill the Strom withstand, For tis well secured by the Saviour’s hand,
And the cables pass from His heart to mine,,
Can defy thee blast, through strength divine.
Chorus sing again
Verse 3
It will firmly hold in the straits of fear, When the breakers have told the reef is near,
Though the tempest rave and the wild winds blow, Not an angry wave shall pour bark o’erflow.
Chorus
Verse 4
It will surly hold in the floods of death, When the waters cold chill our latest breath, On the rising tide it can never fail, While our hopes abide within the veil.
Chorus,”
How true that song is too. But when in that moment we don’t at time think we have an anchor who is Jesus to stop us drowning in that moment when everything going wrong. We wonder how we are going to get through it. In these times we have not panic and go to Jesus and pray to him to help us know how to deal with what we are going through. Jesus will and if obeyJesus doing what he tell us we in the end we will see Jesus was there with us all along. Helping us get through this situation in our lives that we are going through. But Jesus might not answer as quickly as we like we might have to wait. Waiting we might not be good at when it seems everything going wrong. We say why is why Lord. Or we might say I ask someone’s advice on it or do it out way because we can’t wait on the Saviour help. But in the end we find out Jesus was right all along we have to trust him and not other or ourselves. Put our faith in the rock that can not will not fail us. But in these moments God may not take the thing or things we are going through away like we want. God just may help us through them. Like God did with Moses God didn’t remove the Red Sea. God parted it. God doesn’t always remove your problems, but He will make a way to get through them. How very true that is. That we learn to trust God in them all. Then when the storms are over in what we are going through we can look back say yes God was with me in this. God helped us trust him and through prayer helped us see he was there helping us all the time in our difficulties. When we didn’t see it at the time. This thought me when going through a rough time once to trust God and stand on the promises in his word. Not stand on my own as Jesus is there to help me and he wants too. But until I did that I had no peace in what I was going through at that time. I handed it over to Jesus. Through the Holy Spirit Jesus told me what to go. It was not easy but I did it. I am here still and what I look back at it I can say with confidence Jesus was there helping me all along. Love Dawn Ferguson-Little Enniskillen Co.Fermanagh N.Ireland xx
Dear Dawn,
What a beautiful hymn! I’d never heard it before. I was able to find the lyrics at https://hymnary.org. It might be easier for you to copy and paste in future so you don’t have to worry about mis-typing. I did have to go down the page to “All representative texts” to see vs. 4 & 5.
I appreciate your kind and generous heart and your love for the Lord that shows through all your posts. And it’s fun to imagine what it’s like living in N. Ireland :).
Made a few typing mistakes in what I wrote. Just typing not my thing but you will know what I mean. Sorry for the mistakes spelling and other words instead of the word it should be. Dawn xx