Articles
Shelter In The Storm
A young man named Gus was taking a walk through the English countryside one day in
1753 when a sudden storm swept across the landscape. Running for cover, he spotted a wide
rock formation with an opening where he sought shelter until the storm passed. He felt fortunate
to find this hiding place so quickly, and he began to think on the connection between his shelter
and God’s help in life’s storms.
As he contemplated this scenario, the words for a poem began to form in his mind, but he
had no paper on which to write them down. Looking down on the floor of the cave-like structure,
he saw a playing card – considered a sinful thing by the young cleric. Nevertheless, he picked it
up and began to formulate his thoughts and wrote them on the card.
Sometime later, the life of the writer of those words, Augustus Toplady, was cut short by
tuberculosis. On August 11, 1778, he passed away and was buried in London. In his memory, a
stone was erected; and was inscribed with the words he had jotted down on that playing card
years before:
Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood, from Thy riven side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure, Cleanse me from its guilt and power.
These words have become the beloved Christian hymn: “Rock of Ages”. As Gus found
shelter under a rock formation, so you and I can find “shelter” (forgiveness) from the “storm of
sin” in the Rock of Ages, Jesus Christ. Jesus endured God’s wrath against sin on our behalf by
dying on the cross. He paid the price for our redemption (Eph. 1:7). Through His blood, we
receive the “double cure”: we are cleansed from the guilt and the dominion of sin. We find
shelter in the Rock of Ages when we place our trust in Him (Acts 16:30-31).
~ David Sargent, Mobile, AL (Edited for space)
House to House, Heart to Heart, Jacksonville church of Christ, Jacksonville, AL
