Rock: February 20, 2012

TODAYS WORD FOR MONDAY FEBRUARY 20, 2012.

ROCK

DEFINITION:

A foundation; strength; mass of strong material; symbol of shelter or safety.

SCRIPTURE:

Behold, I shall stand before you there on the rock of Horeb; and you shall strike the rock and water will come out of it, and the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. Exodus 17:6

The Lord is my rock and my fortress. Psalm 18:2

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

On the way to the Promised Land the children of Israel were upset that there was no water to drink and the scripture says the people contended with Moses. They complained by asking Moses why he brought them out of Egypt if they were going to die of thirst? So Moses cried out to the Lord asking Him what he should do. In fact, he told God that the children of Israel were ready to stone him.

God again showed Moses that everything is in His hands and gave Moses his command. Moses responded by taking his rod and in front of witnesses struck a rock with his rod and water flowed from the rock. Moses’ rod represented divine authority. The Israelites had forgotten who was in charge. God used the miraculous incident to not only remind the people that Moses was His chosen leader, but that it was God who had authority over them and that He was ever present with them. Again God responded to the call of Moses and miraculously met the needs of the Israelites by providing an abundant supply of water from a rock. The children of Israel could have no doubt but that it was God doing His thing on behalf of them.

After the Lord had delivered David from the hand of his enemies and the hand of Saul, David gave praise to God saying so all could hear: “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, (II Samuel 22:2). David knew where his strength came from and responded to the multitude that the Lord was his rock in his time of need.

David described the Lord as his rock because the word “rock” represents not only strength but safety and shelter.

In the New Testament, Matthew 16:18, Jesus tells Peter and the disciples that He is building His Church. He said: You are Peter, and on this rock (Peter) I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. Jesus called Peter a rock to indicate that he was giving Peter the responsibility of being the leader of the church after Jesus returned to heaven. To be that leader Peter was going to need to be solid and strong like a rock.

The story is told of a young preacher, Augustus Toplady, walking through the English countryside when a sudden storm swept across the landscape where he was walking. This young preacher spotted a wide rock formation with an opening that he could climb into for shelter against the storm. As he sat there waiting for the storm to end he contemplated the connection between his shelter and God’s help in the storms of life that he faced.

He had no paper to write on but found a playing card on the floor of the cave like structure. He began to write the words to a song we still sing today.

Rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee: Let the water and the blood, from Thy wounded side which flowed, be of sin the double cure, save from wrath and make me pure.

Think of your struggles. Do you need a rock to hide in? Do you need someone to shelter you from your problems of life? As the words from the song above say, You can find shelter and assurance from God.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in John 14:3-4.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.

PRAYER:

As I face the storms of life today keep me aware that I do not stand alone in them. I seek Your shelter and Your protection. Thank You that You are my rock of ages and the strong rock that gives me shelter in this cruel and evil world we live in.