Rock

Deuteronomy 32:4, Psalm 18:2, Matthew 7:25

Have you ever been to Yosemite National Park? If not, you should go, take a hike, and take in the breathtaking views. Yosemite is known for its massive rock formations, world famous climbing walls and of course the legendary Half Dome. These massive rocks reach great heights, strength, and have lasted through the test of time. I have had the opportunity to go, and I was in awe at the sight of these mountains, cliffs, and rock faces. 

While these rocks have stood the test of time and endured strongly, they will crumble, they will fail, and they will fade away. Their Creator however, God, is the great Rock and he will not fail nor crumble. 

The first time in Scripture that we see God referred to as “Rock” occurs in Deuteronomy 32:4 when Moses is speaking of God as steadfast, perfect, and just. God is the Rock, a perfect and just God that we can trust, that will never fade away, but will endure. 

In Psalm 18, David refers to God as his rock. Around the use of the word rock, God is also referred to as his strength, fortress, deliverer, shield, salvation, and stronghold. Take a look at these words. When the Bible uses the word rock to describe God it opens up an opportunity to understand His character more fully. Some might use strong, shield, fortress to describe the rocks at Yosemite. But they pale in comparison to our great Rock who is God. 

In Matthew, we see rock used in the New Testament. This passage points out that when the rains of life come, if we are built on the strong rock of God, we will be delivered through the struggle. Our house will not wash away if we are built on the rock. The themes from Psalm 18 seem to be true here, God is our deliverer, shield, strength, fortress. God is steadfast through the storm. God is our rock. 

Do you see God this way? Are you more tempted to enter a national park and be more in awe of the creation rather than the Creator? Think for a second here. God is the steadfast rock, our strength, and our deliverer. If we miss this we drastically misunderstand who God is. We will miss out on trusting and relying on such a stable presence, the rock that is God. 

Whatever your house, your strength, or your hope is built on, demolish that and rebuild on God. Rebuild on the great Rock. Take some time to process how you need to rebuild on the strong foundation that is God.