The Rock

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“Lord, surely this can’t be the rock you want me to move,” the old man said with a bewildered look. He stood next to the giant boulder waiting for God to answer, but several minutes passed without a reply. “You know I can’t move it without you!” he shouted as he grew more exasperated by the minute. Still, no answer. He couldn’t understand why God remained silent, but he was a faithful servant so he began to push. After several unsuccessful attempts to move the immense stone he walked away. He returned the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that, but the only thing he had to show for his efforts were blisters.

Life can often be like moving that boulder. We face challenges that seem insurmountable, and no matter how hard we try, nothing changes… or does it? You may have spent years trying to improve your marriage, but your spouse still seems distant. Perhaps your boss, to put it mildly, isn’t your favorite person despite your efforts to be a team player. We try to do the right thing, but it’s easy to grow frustrated because we can’t see what God is doing behind the scenes.


The Bible tells us to “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act…” (Psalms 37:7). Sounds good, but how do we do that? The answer is found in the words “in the presence of the Lord.” When we go to our quiet place and bow our heads we enter into communion with God. Prayer is more than asking God for things. It’s an intimate conversation with our heavenly Father. As we pour out our hearts to Him, His peace replaces our anxiety, and He gives us the strength to keep doing what’s right while He works on what we cannot. Dealing with any situation becomes less stressful when we realize we’re not the one who’s actually dealing with it. God is. He touches hearts and causes even our enemies to be at peace with us (Prov 16:7). 


But there’s one part of the story I haven’t told you yet. After another failed attempt, the old man bowed his head and prayed, “Lord, I failed. The rock never moved.” God smiled and replied, “I never asked you to move the rock. I asked you to push it. The weight of moving that rock was never yours to carry because it was always Mine.” Like the old man, we often assume it’s our job to move the rock. Our responsibility is obedience. The outcome belongs to God.


Think about it.

Comments

  1. AnonymousJuly 29, 2026 at 9:01 PM

    I truly needed to hear this one. Great job. God doesn’t need our help. We need his. We just need to have patience and listen to him.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJuly 30, 2026 at 3:09 PM

    Powerful and thought provoking!

    ReplyDelete

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