This summer, our family took a trip to the mountains. One day while hiking, I stopped to enjoy the scenery and take some photos. The rest of my family continued up the mountain. As they moved farther away, the woods became completely silent except for the sound of a nearby stream. In this peaceful moment, I turned to my Lord and said, “God, it’s quiet, and I am aware of Your presence in these ancient mountains. I am listening. What do You want to reveal to me today?”
I looked around as I walked, enjoying the sway of the trees in the breeze. The canopy was thick, but the sunlight still spilled through to the path below. My focus was upward, but God brought my gaze to the rocks. They were pushing up everywhere, jutting out through the dirt on the trail. Larger boulders lay scattered about the mountain like giant pieces of confetti.
“Yes, Lord, You are my Rock. Thank You.”
I knew that God is my Rock—I’d been told this since I was a child. But now I wanted to understand it more. I decided to dig deeper, to find some verses that mention the word rock. I discovered it’s mentioned 128 times in the Bible, and I read about 20 of these verses to begin my study.
As I read, I got excited and even surprised by what I was learning. I have always thought of the Lord as my Rock, in an earthly sense. Like those giant rocks scattered on the mountain, I knew my God is strong and unmovable. He is my fortress and my shield as I traverse the difficulties that life brings. I am so grateful that He is these things for me. But then, as I read though the Psalms, I got an even more expansive picture of God our Rock. Check out the following verses. They pair together the words rock and salvation. I had never noticed this before.
Psalm 62:2 says, “He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken.” In Psalm 95:1 we read, “Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.” Psalm 89:26 leaves us no doubt: “You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.”
Oh! I had been looking for God to help me face my challenges; I’d wanted to hide under His wings of protection. But here I realized that God’s perspective is never one dimensional. Scripture cries out for us to recognize the heavenly perspective. Our life on earth shall pass away, but our life in Christ is eternal.
Isaiah 40:8 says, “The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.”
The salvation God offers is as immovable as a rock, as a boulder, as a mountain! It is eternal, just like His Word. Our salvation through Jesus Christ is the Rock that can never be taken away.
Ask God to show you more about what His gift of salvation can bring to you, both on earth today and in heaven tomorrow. Join me in this prayer, will you?
Lord, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I. Amen. †
