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
In the Old Testament writings the phrase "weary land" often refers to a desert area void of water. This hymn draws on the words of Isaiah 32:1-2, which reads, "See, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule with justice. Each will be like a hiding place from the wind, a covert from the tempest, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land." Jesus is this kind of king. He satisfies our most desperate thirst and protects us from the hottest sun. When we sing "Jesus is a Rock in a Weary Land," we remember that he knows our plight and has responded to us in our need. We are not alone and exposed in the wilderness. We have his presence with us always.
Prayer
Jesus, we thank you that you sustain and protect us. We thank you for being with us through our wildest deserts and deepest pains. Teach us to be your presence to each other and remind us that you hold us close. Amen.