GOD IS THE ROCK OF THE BELIEVER
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Psalms 18:2
Psalms 18:2
There are so many verses in the Bible, where God is called the “Rock” of the one who trusts God. The truth is, that only God is never changing, He is the same yesterday, today and forever.
If for the believers of the old covenant, God was a strong, firm, unchanging rock, how much more is it for us, who have been adopted into the Kingdom of God through Jesus Christ. Once we have confessed our sins and asked the Lord to forgive us, they are not only covered by the blood of animal sacrifices as they were for the Old Covenant believers, but they are forgiven and forgotten, through the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ. We can rely on the promises of God that we find on the pages of Scripture and we can trust in everything that He promised to the people of Israel, because through Jesus, we have been adopted into the people of God. (You can read more about promises by clicking here: Are the Old Testament Promises for us the gentiles too?)
David understood who God is and how he could totally put his trust in Him. He knew that it was God giving him the strength to do what was right and keep His commandments, protecting him and helping him not to sin and do good. These are the main elements to a firm foundation of inner peace, security and true comfort.
David, like us, did not always have a life filled with only joy and victories. He was anointed by Samuel to be king, which many scholars believe it was when he was 15 years old (in the year 1025 B.C.) and it took fifteen years before he started to rule from Hebron. And the first seven years was only over Judah. Of those 15 years waiting to become the king he was anointed to be, for eight years he was hunted by Saul as a fugitive, struggling just to stay alive and not be killed by him. Saul had loyal people all over the country, so at some point, David had to cross the border on enemies territory, to stay alive.
God was with David. The Lord gave him favor in the eyes of the philistine king, Achish, that gave David and his men, the city of Ziklag, where they lived for sixteen months (1 Samuel 27:5-7).
The above verses in the book of Psalms, as many of the others that David wrote, prove that he was not above pain or depression, even if God calls him a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22). If David, the one who was appreciate by God, went trough so many hard times, why would it be different for us? We live in a fallen world and the Lord's path is “narrow”. It is not easy to keep the right path, but , we “can do all things in Christ”, as Paul said in Philippians 4:13.
Even if David had to face many sufferings and defeats, he did not lose his trust in God. On the contrary, he was encouraging and strengthening himself. At least three times, we find him telling himself in psalms that he has to stop thinking about his troubles and despair, and start to trust and praise God. David realized this amazing truth that it was “up to him” to stop being negative and start being thankful and knowing that God is truly the Rock, his rock. This is a most important truth we all need to apply.
If we wait until we “feel” like praising God, it may never happen. God is so worthy of our praise, all the time, no matter our circumstances, because of who He is and not because of what we are expecting of Him. I know from my own experiences, that it is so much easier to have a breakthrough in tough times, if I start praising the Lord and remind myself of how good and loving God is and how many miracles He has already performed for myself and those around me. If we keep a grateful and thankful heart everyday, we will become less and less discouraged and on the contrary, more encouraged.
The psalms quoted previously were composed by Asaph. He was one of the Levites that King David assigned to be one of the worship leaders in God's tabernacle. In 2 Chronicles 29:30 we read that he was also a prophet. Asaph understood that it does not matter if his faith cost him even his life that because his trust was in his God, his Rock, he knew that physical death would only mean eternal life for him.
The people of Israel went through countless cycles of “faith and obedience” to God followed by “forsaking” the right way, going astray into worshiping idols and pagan gods. They were living out of God's will, until God would remove His protection from them and would allow other nations to conquer them. After becoming slaves, in their despair they would come back to God for a while. Sadly, the history of the Hebrew people is also the history of many Christians. They trust God, attend a church only while going through a bad season or tough times. But once they make it through and things start to work out and they prosper, they feel like they can make it on their own and they do not need God anymore. Pride makes men believe that they are self-sufficient and do not need to obey God anymore. But, we best not forget that, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” - Proverbs 16:18.
As I already mentioned, it is up to us to strengthen our faith in God. We are to choose who or what we put our trust in. Jesus fasted in the desert for forty days and nights and the devil tried to tempt him with food because he knew that while Jesus was hungry and physically weak, he was vulnerable. He applies the same tactics today by attacking us the hardest when we are tired, sick, hurt, wounded, etc. And we are especially vulnerable if we have not been feeding our souls with the Scripture and spending time in prayer and worship. Jesus' reply is the key to the Christian's strength:
And the apostle Paul is telling us the source of having faith and trust in God:
Jesus says that man feeds himself with God's Word. To have faith means to actually put your trust in God, so in order to strengthen our faith and trust in God, we must study the Bible. We have to feed our souls with the promises of God and know what God expects of us, so that we may live holy lives, according to God's will.
In the Bible, we find all the encouragement and all the correction we need. We cannot have a relationship with God, if we do not search to know Him from what is written in the Scriptures and if we do not spend time with Him in prayer, praise and worship.
In conclusion, there us hope for improvement, for every single one of us. When we lack passion for studying the Bible, we may pray for God to give us hunger and passion for His Word and for getting closer to Him. We also need the help of the Holy Spirit to understand what we are studying and for Him to reveal to us what we need to know about God. Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit leads us into all truth and He surely does. God never asks us to do something that He does not equip us to be able to do. He provided all we will ever need to strengthen our trust in Him and to live victorious, holy lives in obedience to Him; after all He is our Rock!
- James 1:16-17 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
If for the believers of the old covenant, God was a strong, firm, unchanging rock, how much more is it for us, who have been adopted into the Kingdom of God through Jesus Christ. Once we have confessed our sins and asked the Lord to forgive us, they are not only covered by the blood of animal sacrifices as they were for the Old Covenant believers, but they are forgiven and forgotten, through the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ. We can rely on the promises of God that we find on the pages of Scripture and we can trust in everything that He promised to the people of Israel, because through Jesus, we have been adopted into the people of God. (You can read more about promises by clicking here: Are the Old Testament Promises for us the gentiles too?)
- 2 Samuel 22:2-3 And he said: “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; the God of my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; my Savior, You save me from violence."
- Psalms 18:2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
David understood who God is and how he could totally put his trust in Him. He knew that it was God giving him the strength to do what was right and keep His commandments, protecting him and helping him not to sin and do good. These are the main elements to a firm foundation of inner peace, security and true comfort.
- Psalms 27:5 For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.
- Psalms 31:2-3 Bow down Your ear to me, deliver me speedily; be my rock of refuge, a fortress of defense to save me. For You are my rock and my fortress; therefore, for Your name’s sake, lead me and guide me.
- Psalms 40:2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.
David, like us, did not always have a life filled with only joy and victories. He was anointed by Samuel to be king, which many scholars believe it was when he was 15 years old (in the year 1025 B.C.) and it took fifteen years before he started to rule from Hebron. And the first seven years was only over Judah. Of those 15 years waiting to become the king he was anointed to be, for eight years he was hunted by Saul as a fugitive, struggling just to stay alive and not be killed by him. Saul had loyal people all over the country, so at some point, David had to cross the border on enemies territory, to stay alive.
- 1 Samuel 23:14 And David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness, and remained in the mountains in the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.
God was with David. The Lord gave him favor in the eyes of the philistine king, Achish, that gave David and his men, the city of Ziklag, where they lived for sixteen months (1 Samuel 27:5-7).
The above verses in the book of Psalms, as many of the others that David wrote, prove that he was not above pain or depression, even if God calls him a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22). If David, the one who was appreciate by God, went trough so many hard times, why would it be different for us? We live in a fallen world and the Lord's path is “narrow”. It is not easy to keep the right path, but , we “can do all things in Christ”, as Paul said in Philippians 4:13.
- Psalms 42:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance. (Psalms 42:11, Psalms 43:5)
Even if David had to face many sufferings and defeats, he did not lose his trust in God. On the contrary, he was encouraging and strengthening himself. At least three times, we find him telling himself in psalms that he has to stop thinking about his troubles and despair, and start to trust and praise God. David realized this amazing truth that it was “up to him” to stop being negative and start being thankful and knowing that God is truly the Rock, his rock. This is a most important truth we all need to apply.
If we wait until we “feel” like praising God, it may never happen. God is so worthy of our praise, all the time, no matter our circumstances, because of who He is and not because of what we are expecting of Him. I know from my own experiences, that it is so much easier to have a breakthrough in tough times, if I start praising the Lord and remind myself of how good and loving God is and how many miracles He has already performed for myself and those around me. If we keep a grateful and thankful heart everyday, we will become less and less discouraged and on the contrary, more encouraged.
- Psalms 73:26 My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
- Psalms 78:34-35 When He slew them, then they sought Him; and they returned and sought earnestly for God. Then they remembered that God was their rock, and the Most High God their Redeemer.
The psalms quoted previously were composed by Asaph. He was one of the Levites that King David assigned to be one of the worship leaders in God's tabernacle. In 2 Chronicles 29:30 we read that he was also a prophet. Asaph understood that it does not matter if his faith cost him even his life that because his trust was in his God, his Rock, he knew that physical death would only mean eternal life for him.
The people of Israel went through countless cycles of “faith and obedience” to God followed by “forsaking” the right way, going astray into worshiping idols and pagan gods. They were living out of God's will, until God would remove His protection from them and would allow other nations to conquer them. After becoming slaves, in their despair they would come back to God for a while. Sadly, the history of the Hebrew people is also the history of many Christians. They trust God, attend a church only while going through a bad season or tough times. But once they make it through and things start to work out and they prosper, they feel like they can make it on their own and they do not need God anymore. Pride makes men believe that they are self-sufficient and do not need to obey God anymore. But, we best not forget that, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” - Proverbs 16:18.
As I already mentioned, it is up to us to strengthen our faith in God. We are to choose who or what we put our trust in. Jesus fasted in the desert for forty days and nights and the devil tried to tempt him with food because he knew that while Jesus was hungry and physically weak, he was vulnerable. He applies the same tactics today by attacking us the hardest when we are tired, sick, hurt, wounded, etc. And we are especially vulnerable if we have not been feeding our souls with the Scripture and spending time in prayer and worship. Jesus' reply is the key to the Christian's strength:
- Luke 4:4 But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’'
And the apostle Paul is telling us the source of having faith and trust in God:
- Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Jesus says that man feeds himself with God's Word. To have faith means to actually put your trust in God, so in order to strengthen our faith and trust in God, we must study the Bible. We have to feed our souls with the promises of God and know what God expects of us, so that we may live holy lives, according to God's will.
In the Bible, we find all the encouragement and all the correction we need. We cannot have a relationship with God, if we do not search to know Him from what is written in the Scriptures and if we do not spend time with Him in prayer, praise and worship.
In conclusion, there us hope for improvement, for every single one of us. When we lack passion for studying the Bible, we may pray for God to give us hunger and passion for His Word and for getting closer to Him. We also need the help of the Holy Spirit to understand what we are studying and for Him to reveal to us what we need to know about God. Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit leads us into all truth and He surely does. God never asks us to do something that He does not equip us to be able to do. He provided all we will ever need to strengthen our trust in Him and to live victorious, holy lives in obedience to Him; after all He is our Rock!
“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:31
Isaiah 40:31
Copyright © 2015 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.
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Copyright © 2015 Carmen Pușcaș. May be used for personal study or instruction but shall not be copied and/or distributed in whole or part without permission or for financial profit.