He is our Rock

We took our Youth Group rock climbing at a local indoor climbing centre recently.  We all had a great time and finished the day with a bible thought.

David must have been an expert rock climber!  In his youth as a shepherd boy, when on the run from Saul, and in his campaigns as a leader of the armies of Israel.  For him the rocks, mountains and caves where places of safety and security.  Why? Because rocks are big and heavy, solid and immovable - they are not going anywhere!

So he saw in the strength of the rock and the refuge it gave him the same strength and refuge he had in God - he trusted in God and God, his Rock, delivered him.

Then David spoke to the Lord the words of this song, on the day when the Lord had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. 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.
I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies."
(2 Samuel 22:1-4 NKJV)

David wrote this and many similar things in the Psalms.

"Whom have I in heaven but You?  And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail;  But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." (Psalm 73:26 NKJV)

The word 'Strength' in the passage above means a cliff, rock, boulder or refuge.  So there is no one else in heaven or earth in whom we can put our trust - except in God!

Through Jesus, God can be our strength and refuge, the rope anchoring us to the precipice.  He will gently catch us if we fall.  We just need to trust in God and believe that Jesus is His son.  Jesus is the chief cornerstone "in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit." (Ephesians 2:21-22 NKJV).

In Matthew 16:13-19, Jesus asks his disciples who they thing he is.  Simon Peter says “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  Jesus replies "you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church".  The greek word Jesus uses for Peter (Petros) means pebble or 'piece of rock' but for Rock (Petra) means 'mass of Rock'.  Jesus is pointing to himself when he says 'and on this rock'.  He is refering to the declaration 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God'.  This is the foundation on which Jesus would build, that he is indeed the Son of the Living God, who gave his life in sacrifice that we might have hope of life eternal.

Some words of Peter:

"Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,
“Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious,
And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”
Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient,
“The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,”
and
“A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.”
They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed. (1 Peter 2:4-8 NKJV)

So we have a choice: in whom do we put our trust?  In God, our Rock, and in Christ the Chief Cornerstone?

Peter said "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.  And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." (John 6:68-69)  

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