When I was a teenager my brother and his wife along with her brother took us across the country on hiking trips. We hiked in the Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountains, Grand Tetons, and Glacier National Park. It was an amazing time in my life. I’m so grateful I got to see those places. I loved getting above the tree line walking among the rocks and watching mountain streams. When I was younger there was a rock on my grandfather’s property that we loved to climb up on and hang out. It was huge. Well, it seemed big to us. We kind of felt safe, secure, and protected.
What is it about a rock?
How are Rocks formed? There are three main processes that lead to the formation of rocks: the cooling and solidification of magma, the deposition of sediment, and extreme temperatures and pressures. Intrusive igneous rocks form very slowly as hot magma cools under the Earth’s crust. The slow rate of cooling allows the crystals within to grow large. This causes the rocks to look coarse-grained. Examples of these are Peridotite, Diorite, Granite, and Gabbro, ( https://outforia.com/how-are-rocks-formed/). I betcha didn’t know that? I didn’t. We are talking thousands of years in the making. Christ is our eternal Rock. The same yesterday, today, and forever. (Heb 13:8).
In the Old Testament, we see a lot of references talking about rocks. Specifically “The Rock”. High in mountain terrane filled with rocks, boulders, and caves were places of refuge. They were strongholds from the enemy. They were places that gave an advantage over the enemy. David fled from King Saul and hid in the caves of Adullam.( 1 Sam 22:1, 2 Sam 23:13-14). It was a place of refuge for him. Look at these scriptures:
- Psalm 78:15-16 (NKJV)-15 He split the rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink in abundance like the depths.16 He also brought streams out of the rock, And caused waters to run down like rivers
- .Psalm 95:1 (NKJV)-1 Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
- Psalm 62:6-7 (NKJV)-6 He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved.7 In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God.
- ]Isaiah 17:10 (NKJV)-10 Because you have forgotten the God of your salvation, And have not been mindful of the Rock of your stronghold,
- Isaiah 51:1 (NKJV)-1 “Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, You who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug.
In the New Testament, Apostle Paul tells about Christ. 1 Corinthians 10:4 (NKJV)-4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. (1 Cor 12:13, John 4:14).
The Rock was Christ.
How wonderful Christ is to us. When everything seems unsure, when things are constantly shifting, shaken, and moving, even when lies are abounding and truth seems scarce. He is a sure foundation. He holds us steady! Christ is the living Word, and we build our lives on the truth of God’s Word. The Word of God is our Rock. Luke 6:47-49 (NKJV)-47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.49 But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”
Are you digging deep into God’s Word?
Are you hearing and doing His Word? Is your foundation founded on the rock? If it is you can face any storm and not crumble. You won’t fall apart like a two-dollar suitcase as one minister said. We can’t build a life on philosophy or worldly wisdom. We can’t build a life on selfishness or pride. We can’t build a life just on experiences or our past. They can’t support a life lived for God. It can only bring ruin. The Word of God is our foundation!
Christ is a stronghold. He is the eternal Rock. He is a place of refuge from the storms of life. He is an immovable and impenetrable force in our lives. It truly gives us an advantage over the enemy! Apostle Paul tells us that they drank from the spiritual rock, Christ. (Exodus 17:6). Today through the New Birth we can also drink. John 7:37-39 (NKJV)-37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. Bread from heaven and water from the Rock gave God’s people food and nourishment. God sustained His people. Isaiah 32:2 (NKJV)-2 A man will be as a hiding place from the wind, And a cover from the tempest, As rivers of water in a dry place, As the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.
Christ is our hiding place, our cover, water in a dry place and we abide under His shadow. He is our sustainer and our nourishment. He is our protection and our security. Psalm 62:6 (NKJV)-6 He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. Deuteronomy 32:4 (NKJV)-4 He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He. Can we give Christ, the Rock all the glory?
Have you ever heard the saying”solid as the Rock of Gibraltar” is used to describe an entity that is very safe or firm. “Gibraltar is a British overseas territory just northeast of the Strait of Gibraltar. Since the 18th century, Gibraltar has been a symbol of British military strength, and it is commonly known as “the Rock. When World War II broke out in 1939, the authorities evacuated the civilian population to Morocco, the United Kingdom, Jamaica, and Madeira so that the military could fortify Gibraltar against a possible German attack. By 1942 there were over 30,000 British soldiers, sailors, and airmen on the Rock. They expanded the tunnel system and made the Rock a keystone in the defence of shipping routes to the Mediterranean.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_of_Gibraltar . Psalm 18:2-3 (NKJV)-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.3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies. In today’s spiritual warfare. There is an anti-Christ spirit. at work. Light versus darkness, good versus evil, righteousness versus unrighteousness, and truth versus lies, Christ is our strength. He is our Rock, a mighty fortress. Psalm 18:46-49 (NKJV)-46 The LORD lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted.47 It is God who avenges me, And subdues the peoples under me;48 He delivers me from my enemies. You also lift me up above those who rise against me; You have delivered me from the violent man. 49 Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the Gentiles, And sing praises to Your name.
In closing: Let us keep drinking from the Spiritual Rock of Christ. Let us taste and see that the Lord is good. If He is to be our Rock we must remind ourselves daily and receive it by faith. Let us keep digging and laying a foundation of God’s Word. Spend time going over the above scriptures. Confess them out loud. We are as solid as the Rock we stand on. His Word is more precious than gold or silver. Christ the Rock is not just following us today as believers, He lives in us! To love Christ is to love His Word! Jesus is our rock that never rolls! The Word of God is an anchor for your soul.
In Christ’s Love;
Brent and Linda Bushen
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