Cling to the Rock

 

Psalm 61:2-4 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

When your world begins to shake beneath your feet and you can’t find a solid footing anywhere, where do you turn? Who do you run to?

My world has been well and truly shaken in the last 3 days.

The best way I can find to explain it is to imagine that you’re standing knee deep in the ocean. The waves are high and as you try to fix your feet firmly in the sand, steadying yourself, a wave comes rolling in and sends you crashing down into the water, landing flat on your back, salt water spraying into your eyes, burning and stinging, water flies up your nose, you choke, cough and splutter and as the wave recedes, you pick yourself up off the sand, a little unsteady on your feet, and before you know it, CRASH! another wave hits you with unrelenting force, sending you down once again. Over and over it happens, with no relief in sight. You don’t seem to be able to prepare for it or brace yourself against it. It is just one relentless, torturous onslaught that leaves you gasping for breath, weak and weary.

Anybody been there? Can you relate?

Where do you turn during times like these? Do you fall on your knees in despair, or do you fall on your knees in prayer?

It’s in these times that we need to cling to the rock. The rock. The Lord Jesus Christ.

If you were in that situation in a tumultuous sea, and there was a rock you could cling to, that would keep your feet from slipping and give you something to take hold of and steady yourself on, you would grab it with both hands, you would cling to it. That rock would be your safety.

Why is it then that so often, we don’t carry it over to our spiritual lives and cling to the rock? The only solid foundation we can rely on. Christ our rock.

Psalm 61:2-4  From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.

 

Psalm 18:2 KJV - The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

 

When those waves crash overhead and threaten to overwhelm us, the only safe place is the rock. We have to cling to the rock, and we have to trust the Lord to keep us safe. To protect us. To help us through the trying times.

What a great comfort it is to know that we have a Heavenly Father that cares so much for us. He promises to walk through the difficult times with us. He promises to never leave us or forsake us.

He reminds us that he is our rock, our fortress, our deliverer, our God, our strength, our shelter, our strong tower. These are all symbols of safety. Protection. Refuge.

He is a shelter for us, a place to run to. Somewhere safe we can go. He is a strong tower. Not just any tower, but a STRONG tower.

When those storms of life rage around us, we have a place of safety. We don’t need to fear the waves, we have a rock to cling to.

We need to remember that God is faithful. He is in control. He loves us with an everlasting love and although the trial may seem too hard to bear and we can’t see his hand, we can trust him. We can trust that his plans for us are good.

Sit still. Trust him. And cling to the rock.

 

2 Samuel 22:32

 For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God?