January 23

IN THE CLEFT OF THE ROCK
by Ray Prinzing

"And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by Me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: and it shall come to pass, while My glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with My hand."                                                      (Exodus 33:21-22).

There has been a cleft made in the Rock, there is a secret place in the bosom of our Saviour, for there was a rent made in His side making possible an entrance for us.  To be hidden in the Most High we have both strength and complete protection.  Coming INTO HIM is more than just an initial act of faith, it is, indeed, a process.

"For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth."  (Hebrews 12:6). Note this word "receiveth" which in this case comes from a Greek word that means to receive alongside.  God said to Moses,  "There is a place by Me."  (Psalm 91:1). And it was at Calvary that there was a cleft made in His side, to open up the new and living way into His bosom.  Now to be received, the writer to the Hebrews points out, includes all of the chastenings which condition and discipline us, until we are prepared to be received into His fulness. Our processings are for a purpose, it is that He might receive us into Himself, there to abide, eternal dwelling.

Abiding in the cleft of the Rock means abiding in a consciousness of His presence.  The storm may rage without, but it cannot touch His life within.  He dwells within us, and we are dwelling in Him, no more dependent on the circumstances without, or finding it necessary to search out a meeting to receive a blessing, but resting in HIM in joy and peace.  To be in the rock means we have fixed our trust in God.  Prayer is no more a "lobbing" to persuade God to do a certain thing our way, but rather it is a time of communion, a sweet fellowship of praise and worship, rejoicing in His goodness and way of victory.