Devotion / He is my Rock

Those pesky rocks

 People who collect various items are given some very interesting names. Stamp collectors are philatelists. Flag collectors are vexillologists, and an arctophile collects teddy bears. Then there are those who collect rocks. They are merely called rock hounds! Perhaps that’s because, to those who are not rock collectors, rocks are really quite insignificant. We skip them across ponds, we sweep them off the sidewalk, we rake them out of our gardens, and we get irritated when one finds its way into our shoe. So in the big scheme of things, rocks are not too important.

 It is, however, interesting to find that rocks play a rather significant part in the Bible. They seem to surface in some of our best-loved Bible stories. In the wilderness, it was a rock that kept the people alive with its refreshing water. It was just a small, smooth rock that found its way into Goliath’s forehead, and it was the rocky walls around Jericho that came tumbling down. Jesus told us a story about a house built on a rock. And we can never forget one special rock that was rolled away to show that our risen Christ was truly our Lord and Savior.

 Safety and security in rocks

 People in Bible times knew there was safety in rocks. They often hid in caves to avoid their enemies, and they built their cities with high rock walls for protection. The strength, security, and shelter that rocks provided were important back then. They provided a much-needed place of safety. Like then, people today still need safe places for refuge. We live in a world that offers few spaces we can call safe and reliable. We might try finding refuge in our educational institutions, our political parties, or our bank accounts, but they will all fail us. Likewise, our health or our social status can change in an instant.

 We need a reliable rock

 Where can we find a rock that is reliable and trustworthy? We thank the Lord for being our Rock. He is there for us in the good times and the bad. In that Rock, we will always find safety, security, and shelter. Psalm 94:22 comforts us, The Lord has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.    

 You may not be a rock hound, but rocks can be important. How necessary it is that we have a Rock in which to find refuge; a Rock that is immovable; a Rock that will never fail us. God is that Rock. King David’s beautiful song in 2 Samuel 22 assures us, For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God?”

 by Reynold R. Kremer