Bottom line up front: The Spiritual Rock Is Christ

Introduction: As military chaplains, our bread and butter is ministry to Soldiers, authorized Civilians, and their Families. That ministry, per Army regulation, reads as follows: “As a professional military religious leader, the chaplain must have the capability to perform or provide religious support that accommodates the Soldier’s right to the free exercise of religion, and support resilience efforts to sustain Soldiers, Family members, and authorized Civilians” (AR 165-1, 2-3, Section 1).

Relevance: One of the vital realities of military chaplaincy is laboring to bring to the table spiritual resilience. The reason is straightforward. Where do we turn in times of crisis? Family? Friends? Battle buddies? Fellow vets? Exercise? Yes, to all of those, of course. But what if they’re insufficient? Does it not make the most sense to turn to the Creator of heaven and earth, the One who knows all things, the One who knit us together in the womb?

Scripture Speaks to This: In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul writes of Old Testament believers. You know what Paul says of them and of how they endured, and regarding to whom they turned for spiritual resilience? Here it is: “and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4).

Encouragement/takeaway: In short, the manna from heaven, the water from the rock, the light before, behind, and above them, was Christ. Christ was and is near to all who call upon him. The spiritual rock is not a thing but a person, and he has a name. It’s the name above all names, in fact (Philippians 1:9). No sort of psychological mumbo jumbo will suffice. We don’t need spiritual gimmicks but the crucified and risen Savior.