Thank you for taking time to read the sermon this week. I am grateful that I have the opportunity each week to post these messages. It has been a hard week in many ways, but I thank the Lord for helping me to get through it.
Today, we will once again be focusing on a name or title given to our God. We will focus today on the fact that God is at many times referred to in Scripture as being a rock or our rock. He is our rock both physically and spiritually.
As we always do, we want to start by looking at some of the places in the Bible where God is called a rock or our rock. One of the most well known of these verses is Psalm 18:2 that states, "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." There are many more places in the Psalms where God is referred to as a rock.
Deuteronomy 32:4 states, "The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice. A God of faithfulness without iniquity, just and upright is He." We also read in Isaiah 26:4, "Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord our God is an everlasting rock." II Samuel 22:47 lets us know that, "The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation."
One of the verses that really means a lot to me is Psalm 61:2. This verses says, "From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I."
There are many, many more verses about God being our rock that we can find in the Old Testament. So, what does it mean that God is our rock?
God is our rock when we are facing what we have to face in life. That is what really stands out to me. I will give you a couple of examples from my own life.
About 20 years ago now, my mother had a bad stroke that left her in really rough shape. She was in the hospital and the in hospital rehab for over six weeks. After that, she was doing rehab on an outpatient basis and at-home therapy for another six months. I would not have been able to get through all of that without God being my rock.
When I would go to the hospital, I would always stop at the chapel first thing. I would pray and ask the Lord to help me get through the day. I could feel in my spirit that God was my rock and foundation. He was my ground not letting me get too down so that I could make it through and be there for my mom and my dad.
The Lord has been my rock and strength going through the hardships I've had with my health the last few years. There have been points when I've been in a lot of pain when I've felt like giving up. But, God has been in my heart giving me the ability to go on even in very difficult times.
When we are facing the hard times, God is our rock. He gives us the ability and the strength to keep going. He is our refuge and strength. Nothing can ultimately harm us when we are in Him.
Now, let's look at something a little different. Jesus is called our rock and foundation in the New Testament. Peter tells us that Jesus was the stone or rock that the builders rejected, but He has become the cornerstone. Jesus said this same thing about Himself in Matthew's Gospel. Paul tells us in I Corinthians 3:11 that, "No one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ."
Jesus is the rock of our salvation. Through His death and resurrection, He has secured eternal salvation for all who will put their faith and trust in Him. Jesus is now the the cornerstone and foundation of the church. All that we have and hope for is built up upon Him.
Just as God is our rock, Jesus as God come in the flesh is our rock. He will never leave us nor will He forsake us. He is our rock in a weary land. And He is our rock providing a sure foundation for life now and eternal life in the age to come. Amen.
Prayer Requests
Please keep praying for me. My health is improving, thank God. As I mentioned, I had a very upsetting experience with a family member the other day. I am still not happy about all of this. Pray that I can just keep going and not get depressed. I know that when others reject you, Jesus is there. I know too that my friend Toby is with me in spirit, and that helps to keep me going.
Please pray for those in my state who had damage from storms this week. A tornado hit two counties over from me and injured a couple of people. There was a lot of hail damage to the northwest of me. My house was not damaged. We just got heavy rain. I thank the Lord for getting me through these storms.
Keep praying for peace. This week was something else in the Middle East. Pray for an end to all of these hostilities. Everyone needs to cool down. Also pray for peace in Ukraine, Sudan and Haiti.
Let us pray for the people in Dubai. There was some bad flooding there.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of South Korea and Chad. Pray that many will come to know Jesus.
Next week, I really hope to get that final chapter of the Minor Prophets book posted. I will post the verses on Monday, and we will continue with our current sermon series. May God bless you all.
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