Devotional Wednesdsay March 25thGOD OUR ROCK
Pastor Vernon Giesbrecht
At a small group meeting my wife and I were once part of, the leader handed out little pieces of stone to every member of the group. A Scripture verse was written on each stone. Every verse spoke of our Lord as being a Rock. Each person was asked to witness how God had been their Rock in their lives.
On my stone, the verse was from 2 Samuel 22:32: “For who is God beside the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?” The answer to that rhetorical question is obvious. No one! No man; no woman; no leader; no enemy; no other god we may conjure up in our head. No “idol” we may give our allegiance to or fear its control. The LORD – Yahweh – He is God; He is the Rock!
This is the God of the Bible – the Creator; the Sustainer of all things; the all-powerful One; the all-knowing One; the holy One; the Three-In-One – Father, Son and Holy Spirit; the God of justice, mercy and love; the God who saves through faith in His Son, Jesus; the One who cares about our every need; He is our protector. He is the LORD! He is the Rock!
Perhaps your children have gone to camp at a lake or at the ocean. They typically love the water until it gets too deep. We have enjoyed vacation with our families and grandchildren on Lake Huron on the Ontario, Canada side. Across from one of the cottages we rented was a rock sticking out of the water in relatively deep water. We called it White Rock because of its coloring, or was it that seagulls had spent too much time on it!? The challenge always was – who could get to the rock and climb on top of it. For the little children, the water gradually got deep and, with the waves, it was scary for them. But, when they made it to the rock, they were safe and secure (with a little help from their older siblings, of course)! They would stand up on the rock and raised a shout of victory!
When the Bible refers to a Rock, it is not just a stone; it is a huge boulder! It is secure in its foundation; it is a safe place. Some were so large that, over time, caves had formed in which to hide from the enemy. That is perhaps where David found himself.
Chapter 22 in Second Samuel is King David’s “Song of Praise” after the Lord had delivered him from all his enemies and from King Saul. Life had been a literal war for him. For 50 verses, including the one I’d received, he sings praises to God for being his deliverer, his strength, his Savior from the distress of the deep waters he had felt himself in. The LORD had been faithful; He had been David’s stronghold; He had been his refuge; He had been David’s Rock!! I’d encourage you to read the entire chapter.
During this uncertain time – this “invisible war” – that our country and our world is experiencing, God can be your Rock. He can be your sure Foundation. I trust you have found that to be true in your times of difficulty; times of illness; times of grief when a loved one passes away; times when the waters seem too deep for a firm foothold; and now, during this time when anxiety levels are higher than usual. The LORD is our Rock!! Rest on His faithfulness, His promises, His love, His sovereign control in all situations, including the one in which we presently find ourselves.