The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:2
As I look over my life, there have been many ups and downs. However, it is my belief that there have been two decidedly tempestuous times in my life that have shaken me to the core. The first was in my mid-thirties when my bowel disease kicked in in earnest and totally disrupted our lives. The uncertainty and pain of my illness, threats to our employment, our reactions to our circumstances and the strain on our marriage left me with more questions than answers. Yet God, in His gracious mercy, used those difficulties to draw me close, teach me, remold my thinking, completely overhaul my faith and open my eyes to His immense compassion. It moved me from religion to a relationship. The second period has been the last five years and I pray that I’m nearing the end of this struggle. It started with simultaneous death of my father-in-law and moving my father and his wife to assisted living and peaked with the death of my father last year. It has set in motion many trials and personal battles with trust, obedience and forgiveness. For my part, I have not always handled things the way I should have as multiple forms of stress weighed in, but God keeps pulling me back to remind me that He is in control, He is with me and is my righteousness. While this too has been a time of God drawing me close and molding me, the more prevalent theme has been to remind me that He is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. He is ever present and ever able to meet the need.
Consider three facets of God as our rock: His constancy, His truth and His faithfulness. Rock provides great imagery for the concept of God’s permanence. However, like all things in this life, it is imperfect. Where rock in its hardest forms can be altered by erosion, earthquake, blasting or man-made implements, God cannot be eroded, fractured, or undermined. Scripture reminds us: “In the beginning God” (Genesis 1:1); “For I, the Lord, do not change” (Malachi 3:6); and “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). In our ever-changing world, nothing predates God and there is no other constant. Consequently, building our lives on His foundation provides surety and strength. Psalm 119:160 tells us “The sum of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.” Like God Himself, His truth has remained the same since before the beginning of time and will last through eternity. Using this as the foundation of our lives and our behaviors provides for righteous living, strength of character and closeness with God that can be relied on when adversity comes. Finally, God’s faithfulness is as certain as His being and His truth. He is able (Romans 4:21); what He promises He will do (Numbers 23:19); His lovingkindness never ends (Lamentations 3:22-23, Psalm 100:5); and even when we are unfaithful, God is still faithful to us because He cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13). Our faithful God does not waiver in His devotion to us. He desires to be our guide, our help and our source of strength.
Psalm 46 is a favorite psalm and it succinctly summarizes the concept of God as our fortress. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear” (vs. 1-2). As a refuge, we can run to Him for shelter and protection when trouble comes. He is also our source of strength in that He sustains our lives, fortifies our souls when trials come and gives us the wisdom to discern between truth and falsehood when we seek to serve Him and align our will with His.
When we think of God as our deliverer, our first thought is Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. However, He delivers us in other ways. We’re told that Satan is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Christ delivers us from those attacks as well. He takes our trials and, at times, even our sins and uses them to allow us to extend the grace that He has poured into our lives to others in similar circumstances. As we see God at work in us, we more readily allow Him to convert our misery to hope and joy.
The song I’ve attached played on my IPod this morning as I was at the gym. As it played, it reminded me that over the last five years God has used very dark circumstances to show me time and time again that He is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer. I still have a long way to go in my sanctification process, but God is faithful and is molding me. I pray that you allow Him to do the same in you. When life gets difficult, run to Him. Employ His precepts to provide a sure foundation for your life and guide you. Allow Him to protect you, strengthen you and deliver you. When life batters you, rely on Him and you “will not be greatly shaken” (Psalm 62:2).