Daily Encouragement

Friday, June 23, 2023

94 foot Ganoga Falls in the Rickett's Glen State Park.
(Click on photo to enlarge)

"A Firm Place To Stand"

Message summary: The immutable God continues to set the feet of His children on the rock and provide a firm place to stand.

Listen to our message on your audio player.

“He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand” (Psalm 40:2). “For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11).

Yesterday evening I returned from a 3 day trip to northern Pennsylvania. I took Jimmy along with me, the 16 year old son of our good friends, Jesse and Anna Ruth. The first two days we rode on three bike trails, the longest being 55 miles on the Pine Creek Trail in northern Pennsylvania, through the PA Grand Canyon. We had planned another ride on the way home yesterday but, with rain in the forecast, we decided to take a hike instead and headed over to Rickett's Glen State Park for a very strenuous hike down a gorge to view a series of waterfalls.

Brooksyne and I visited this park 6 years ago and enjoyed our experience but even at that time it tested us. I have wanted to take the entire Lapp family up sometime and thought Jimmy could give them a firsthand report. As PennLive states, "If you love waterfalls, there is no better destination in Pennsylvania than Ricketts Glen State Park."

I had only taken an old pair of shoes with slippery soles so I bought a new, better gripping pair in Williamsport before heading over. I recalled how you needed good footwear on this trail. Apart from the possibility of rain the trail is wet in many places due to the splash from the waterfalls and seepage from many springs.

We headed down the trail, a pleasant walk through the woods at first, and then the real testing began. To see the falls you walk (sometimes scramble*) down and of course back up a steep trail along the falls. When we walked the trail six years ago it was a loop but now is partially closed off due to the trail collapsing.

I stopped before we reached the end knowing I needed the energy to also climb back up but Jimmy went ahead and explored the portion up to where the loop was closed.

I climbed part way back up and sat on a log as I waited for Jimmy and met a very energetic and friendly 84 year old with his daughter and grandkids. He had walked up the trail from the beginning and was barely winded so I am going to call him Caleb (see Joshua 14:10,11). I also visited with a couple doing campus ministry at Penn State. (See photo below)

As I walked the trail I went along pretty good but slow, holding on to whatever I could, including Jimmy's shoulder at times. There were two special perils I noted:

1) Shifting rocks. At times the rocks shifted as you stepped on them which could throw you off balance. I don't recall thinking about this much when I was younger since you can quickly react and compensate giving little thought to the matter. But especially with a cliff on one side it was a challenge. I just had to go slow anticipating these rocks since you can't tell beforehand.

2) Slippery rocks. It did not rain while we were on the trail but there were plenty of wet spots that were very slippery. Usually you could see these ahead and really slow down or find a branch to hold on to.

Well, these conditions also describe two of the perils we have along the pilgrim pathway of our faith.

There are a lot of shifting rocks in life, rocks built over the crumbling foundation of Satan's lies. We need to be wary of them and realize through spiritual discernment what a shifting rock is. Our goal is to stay on the firm foundation.

There are also times when we encounter slippery rocks. I believe this is analogous to deceptions which abound.

Thank God today for a firm place to stand! Sometimes in the course of walking the Pilgrim pathway the road gets shifty and slippery. An old hymn speaks of a condition many of us identify with, “When all around my soul gives way”. Periodically we are battered by conditions that shake us greatly. But that phrase for those who know hymn lyrics goes on to state, "He then is all my hope and stay".

The Psalmist David so graphically describes such a condition in his own life. He begins Psalm 40 by declaring, “I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry.” I am so thankful today that the God of the ages continues to incline toward us and He hears our cries! He is a very present help in times of trouble. Here's a verse from Nahum that Brooksyne and I have recently memorized that speaks of the fact that we get the Lord's attention when we commit ourselves to His care, "The Lord is good, a stronghold in times of trouble; He knows those who take refuge in Him" (Nahum 1:7)

The specific situation David is going through in his life is unknown, but I feel he is speaking of a particular period of deep despair. His words ring with the pain and desperation of the situation, “He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire”. Have you ever felt as if you were in a slimy pit of mud and mire? I sure have.

What great assurance for believers of all ages is found in David’s simple description, “He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand". We may find this assurance in the broadest sense describing our salvation or in a narrower, specific sense describing deliverance from the difficult, seemingly hopeless situations we encounter in life.

Let us rejoice that we, along with the Psalmist, who served God some 3,000 years ago, can declare with confidence, “He has set my feet on a rock”. We need to be reminded of our position in Christ and the wonderful unshakable God we serve. Today as the earth groans and we witness the effects of the Fall on man and nature, let us early fortify ourselves with God’s Truth.

The Psalmist was reminded of where he came from and who delivered him, “He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire”. Thank God today for His amazing grace. You are reading this and have an interest in spiritual things because of God’s mercy and grace. Pause to thank God for that rich blessing right now!

Today, I urge you to continue to cry out and wait patiently on the Lord! The immutable God continues to set the feet of His children on the rock and provide a firm place to stand.

I’m standing on the Rock of Ages,
Safe from all the storm that rages,
Rich but not from Satan’s wages,
I’m standing on the Solid Rock.

Be encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13)

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, it seems that each new day brings changes, some of which we welcome but others that bring uncertainty and even dread. We face both shifting rocks and slippery rocks as we walk the Pilgrim pathway. How wonderful to know that You are our Rock and our Shield upholding us with Your gracious right hand. No night is so dark that the light of Your Son, Jesus, does not penetrate the darkness that would otherwise overtake us. Keep us joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Slippery Rock University is a college in western Pennsylvania. It’s named after a creek running through the small northwest Pennsylvania town that to this day has slippery rocks. The team mascot is “The Rock”. The football team occasionally plays Michigan in an interesting rivalry of mismatched teams.

Legend has it that the name derives from an incident during the pioneer days when soldiers were being chased by Seneca Indians. Wearing boots the soldiers were able to cross the creek without falling while the Indians, wearing their moccasins, slipped on the rocks and fell into the creek as the soldiers got away. The Indian name for the creek is “Wechachochapohka”.

This reminds me of another Indian name for a lake in Massachusetts which happens to be the longest place name for any geographical place in America.

Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg.

It means “you fish on your side, I fish on my side, and no one fishes in the middle.” It’s also known as Webster Lake and is near Southbridge Massachusetts.

Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"In Christ Alone/The Solid Rock" Click to listen on YouTube Travis Cottrell

* Scrambling is a hiking activity that entails climbing up steep hills and terrain primarily with your hands but also with your feet. It combines elements of rock climbing, mountaineering, hillwalking, and hiking all in one.

Another waterfall (Oneida) in the Rickett's Glen State Park. Jimmy crossed the stream to get behind the falls. Due to the drought the falls were not flowing as much as they normally would.
(Click on photo to enlarge)

Here's an example the many series of steps to traverse the waterfall trail.

Another example!

From the parking lot you reach the falls via a very pleasant wooded trail. You might be tempted at this point to think the falls trail will be easy!

Rickett's Glenn State Park More photos

Here's our message after we visited the Rickett's Glen falls 6 years ago with more photos of the entire loop and a slightly younger us.

Laplante family, Penn State campus missionaries

As I sat on a log waiting for Jimmy I visited with Greg and Lacy Laplante and their two sons. They serve as missionaries with Disciple Makers on the Penn State main campus with international students. The conversation began when I told Lacy I liked the message on her shirt. I looked the ministry up when I got home with Brooksyne and we see it is the same ministry Janae Taft works with, the daughter of one of our ABF class members.

Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne

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