The LORD is my rock and my THE LORD IS… fortress and my deliverer

Over 200 times throughout the Bible, God is referred to as rock or a rock.

1 Corinthians 10:4 tells us that Christ is the Rock that followed Israel.

“For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptised into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.”

1 Sam 2:2 declares that “there is no rock like our God."

A rock can, in the biblical sense, also mean boulder. A rock can come in all shapes and sizes. Some rocks you can pick up and throw. But God is a rock like a boulder. Have you ever stood on the beach and looked at some of the boulders around the edge. Some of them are huge. You can stand on them they’re so big. You can stand on them with the confidence that this rock isn’t going anywhere. It will uphold you no problem at all. It has most likely sat there for thousands of years, unmoved by anything around it.

When our lives are being shaken to the core we can rely on the rock, God, who will not be shaken.

When we feel like we’re losing our footing we need not fear because the rock beneath us hasn’t changed, He remains stable. That’s not to say that God our rock isn’t moved by ourmcircumstances, because He is. He is the suffering servant that comes down to us in our trouble. But even as He is moved with compassion for us He can at the same time remain firm in order to uphold us in the moment.

So a rock this size symbolises strength and stability, but it can also symbolise protection and therefore deliverance.

God is often referred to as the Rock of my salvation. He is a rock solid saviour. Considering the many battles fought in Israel, rocky areas were also ideal locations for strong, protective city fortresses.

That’s why David goes on to say in Psalm 18:2 “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,”

We can find refuge in God knowing that He can and will deliver us. We don’t need to worry how but just trust and stand on Him as the rock.

When the people of Israel were coming out of Egypt, Pharaoh (the enemy) along with his army pursued them as they crossed the red sea. In the midst of all the complaining listen to what Moses says.

“And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.” Exodus14:13

The word for salvation can be translated deliverance.

When I think back to the early days after our son’s accident, I feared, I wobbled all over the place and couldn’t stand firm. How would God ever deliver us from this horrific situation? But God knows that just like the people coming through the red sea, I was frightened, I was exhausted, I was done.

It’s in those moments that you need a Moses to stand with you and for you and declare that God will work for you for me today. No matter how I feel, No matter how low I am,  God, the Rock has not changed. He is still the same God as He’s ever been.

As they traveled through the sea, Christ the rock was with them. He is the one that followed them through their journey. They drank, Paul tells us from the spiritual rock that followed them. Moses helped them do that.

My prayer is that as you have read this blog, we have helped you in some small way to look again to The Rock who will never ever let you down.

Do we still have our struggles? Of course. But it is the continued struggle that keeps us looking to Him and not ourselves. For when we are weak then He is strong.

One of my favourite hymns is ‘My hope is built on nothing less’ by Edward Mote. There’s a line that reads ‘All other ground is sinking sand’. We can try and build and shape our lives on other things that aren’t necessarily bad, but will not be able to withstand the storms that come our way like Jesus does.

Prayer

Dear Lord,

We are so grateful that You never change. You remain steadfast. That’s why we can rely on You every step of the way. May we be a people that both trust You and help others who are struggling to trust You as the rock. May we be sensitive to the needs of others as we journey through this life. Amen

Tags

Rock, Boulder, strength, Strong, struggle, Deliverance, salvation