Assurance
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.
John 14:1 (NRSV)
STORY
Augustus Toplady was born in England in 1740. Toplady had an interest in religion during his younger years. At the age of 15, while attending a Methodist revival in an Irish barn, he was, in his own words, “brought nigh to God.” It was at this point that he determined to go into ministry.
In 1762, while Toplady was walking along the gorge in Burrington Combe, in North Somerset, England, there was a terrible storm. It was among the rocks in the gorge that he took refuge from the howling wind. Sheltering from the storm, Toplady wrote the hymn Rock of Ages. Burrington Combe gorge has a plaque with this claim to fame. Toplady died in 1778 from tuberculosis. He never married.
Rock of Ages is a very personal hymn, focusing on individual’s faith using first person pronouns such as “I” and “me” rather than “we” and “our.”
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.
DEVOTION
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me” is one of the most often quoted scriptures that Christians repeat publicly and meditate on privately. This is so because we are constantly besieged by the difficulties of daily living. It often seems that the trials and tribulations of life will never cease. And what is even worse is that we often feel helpless to control these events.
Jesus, after his last meal with his disciples in the Upper Room and as he faced his impending execution, he wanted to assure his remaining eleven disciples, as Judas had departed to perform his treacherous deed, that they would be safe. Jesus shared with his chosen that even though he was troubled he felt secure in the God’s love. It was security that he wanted his disciples to trust in. This is our assurance as well.
Points to Ponder
> What is your Garden of Gethsemane
o For me: If I must be honest though it is embarrassing to admit I have difficulty with drinking – this week I asked Pastor David G to be my support person and he has graciously agreed
> What does assurance mean to you
o For me: This for me would be fellowship with other Christians who understand me, support me, and advise me
> Even though we live believing in the assurance that Jesus offers do you still sometimes worry and fret
o For me: I suffer from General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) so I am constantly anxious – I also think that worry can sometimes trump faith
> How would offer the assurance of Jesus to someone else
o For me: To be a friend – to always be present since assurance cannot be an abstract concept but something that is experienced
Please share other Points to Ponder so I can update my list
Please share your thoughts with me – if you desire I will publish them for others to read anonymously or first name only or your entire name as you choose