Y Not I

One message by my Rabbi was about Proverbs 3:5-6 and more specifically about leaning not on our own understanding. One thing that he was pointing out was the strength and power of God to handle all situations. He spoke of God’s everlasting arms (Deuteronomy 33:27) and that His ways are like a rock, as compared to the ways of others (our own ways) being like sand (Matthew 7:24-27). This got me to thinking about characteristics of rock and sand. Rock has an everlasting quality to it. It does not change. Age to age it remains the same. On the other hand, sand changes quite easily and quite often. Even the wind can change the sand, moving it from one place to another. Sand can easily be shaped and molded and look one way today and another way tomorrow. If rock changes it usually takes either a long time to enact that change (like rushing water slowly changing the shape of the rock) or with a great deal of force (like a stick of dynamite).

So, what does this tell us about G-d and his ways that are like a rock? It seems to me to say that He does not change. His ways do not change. To me that is very good news. For one thing I know G-d is strong enough to protect me in His everlasting arms, but it also says that a promise He gives to me today is one that will not change. It also means that His expectations will remain the same. He will not make a promise to me and then give it to another and say that person is actually who the promise was always for and that he just told it to me. It means that if today He wants me to follow certain things, then next year He will still want me to follow these things. For if He changes any of these things is He not more like sand, then like rock?

Rock can also more easily change things around it then be changed by it. Sand is more easily changed by things around it, then it can affect change in others. Many people I think would rather have G-d be more like sand. They can then easily mold Him and make Him look the way they want Him to be. Personally, I want G-d to change me, not the other way around. C.S. Lewis said, “There are two kinds of people: those who say to G-d, “Thy will be done,” and those to whom G-d says, “All right, then, have it your way.� I want to be in the first group and having G-d as my rock helps me to be confident that His will, that His ways are wise, that they are ways of pleasantness and of peace (Proverbs 3:17-18). I am working to fully trust G-d in all his ways and throw myself upon the rock. It is better than to have it come down upon me (Matthew 21:44).

B”H