“Jesus Is a Rock in a Weary Land,” ELW 333
Devotion
Refrain
Jesus is a rock in a weary land,
a weary land, a weary land;
my Jesus is a rock in a weary land,
a shelter in a time of storm.
No one can do like Jesus,
not a mumbling word he said;
he went walking down to Lazarus' grave,
and he raised him from the dead. Refrain
When Jesus was on earth,
the flesh was very weak;
he took a towel and girded himself
and he washed his disciples' feet. Refrain
Yonder comes my Savior,
him whom I love so well;
he has the palm of victory
and the keys of death and hell. Refrain
How do you define a weary land? What troubles are around you? We can find ourselves dwelling on these things and feeling no escape. At such times all we can see is defeat and hopelessness. Then it is a gift for us that others who have been in this situation before retell their story through songs passed along to the next generations of Christians. This African-American spiritual begins with the strong reminder that Jesus is our rock. There is hope for us; no matter the circumstance we can find and hold fast to our rock, our savior. The refrains repeat the confident message, driving further the truth that no matter the storm, no matter the darkness, no matter what is weighing us down, we have hope set in Jesus Christ our savior.
Prayer
Lord, we need you, we cling to you. At times we are tired, we are worn out, not sure where to turn or what to do. It is in these moments that we need you, we need to be reminded that you are there. We may forget, but with you as our anchor, we have hope. Amen.