Walking with the Rock

A Christian pilgrim's reflection on Matthew 6:33, practicing God's presence, and the difference between putting God first and recognizing Him as the all-consuming Rock at the center of life.

NOTES

Trace Pirtle

1 min read

A friend and brother in Christ shared a message last week on Matthew 6:33, the verse that reminds us to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.

As I was listening to his message, he talked about a rock in a jar. My mind immediately went to the rock I dropped in the jar in my own life.

I reflected on how each day begins with coffee (I know what you are thinking), a devotional reading, prayer, scripture memory, and Bible reading.

My wife and I seek first the Kingdom of God, and then we press on with the day. New rocks and pebbles of various sizes and shapes are dropped into the jar. Some are larger rocks and occupy more of the jar than the rocks that I added first.

Throughout the day, I try to "practice the presence of God" as described by Brother Lawrence. If you haven't read that book, I highly recommend it. Here's a link for a free PDF version. Everything is done for the love of God and to His glory. Each rock honors Him.

I was feeling "proud" of putting God first; the rock in the bottom of the jar was evidence that I had my priorities "right." And then the image in my mind was blown away like a Navajo sandpainting in a windstorm. That's what happens with pride.

A new jar appeared, and inside was a large rock that nearly filled the jar. The symbolism is clear.

It's not just a matter of how we start the day, engage the world, and end the day. It's a matter of God's all-consuming presence.

There is One Rock--One Boulder--in our jar of life. That's how the Holy Spirit presented the truth to me.

So now, I still begin the day as I had before. I still practice the presence of God in all I do. But the image I see in my mind is different. It changes how I go through the day, walking with the Rock.

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"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."

- Matthew 18:20