Tag Archives: Hopewell Rocks

Our Living Rock

28 Wednesday Jun 2017

Posted by in Devotionals, Psalm 18, Psalms

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Reading:                                      Psalm 18

Verses 46-50

The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be God my Savior!
He is the God who avenges me,
who subdues nations under me,
who saves me from my enemies.
You exalted me above my foes;
from a violent man you rescued me.
Therefore I will praise you, LORD, among the nations;
I will sing the praises of your name.
He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing love to his anointed,
to David and to his descendants forever (NIV).

Reflection
The joyful exuberance of the opening lines of this final reading from Psalm 18 is well worth reflecting upon. David exults, “The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!”

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Hopewell Rocks, NB — photo by David Kitz


To my thinking, there’s nothing quite as dead as a rock. But here in the same breath, David praises the living LORD, his Rock and his Savior. Living rock seems to be a contradiction in terms, but our God is very much alive. He was alive and active in David’s life, and He is alive and active in your life as well—as active and alive as you allow Him to be. But the LORD also wants to be the Rock of stability in your life—the solid foundation from which you draw strength. A life anchored in God can withstand the storms of adversity and the test of time. The LORD is that stalwart mainstay that actively trains us for eternity.

Most importantly, our LORD saves. He saved David from all of his troubles. It was God’s intervention in David’s life that brought him the victory time after time. God was not content to sit in heaven and cheer from the sidelines. The LORD got involved in David’s life. He responded repeatedly to David’s cries for mercy and help.

If David had ample reasons to praise God and be thankful, we who live on this side of the cross, under the new covenant, have far more grounds for praise. God intervened directly for us. We have a Savior in Jesus, who left his throne in glory. He put His own skin in the game. The Father sent His one and only Son to live as a man, and then suffer and die on our behalf. And Jesus did not remain dead. God the Father raised him from the dead. Now with David we can say, “The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior!”

Response: Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus. Thank you for his life, his death and his resurrection. I love you, Lord Jesus. You are the living Rock on which I can build my life. Through you I am more than a conqueror. Holy Spirit help me live this day in praise of my Savior. Amen.

Your Turn: Is the LORD your living Rock? Has He been your help? Has Jesus become your Savior? How will you honor Him today?

Trust Brings Permanence

06 Monday Feb 2017

Posted by in Psalm 125, Psalms

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Reading:                                       Psalm 125

A song of ascents.

Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the LORD surrounds his people
both now and forevermore.

The scepter of the wicked will not remain
over the land allotted to the righteous,
for then the righteous might use
their hands to do evil.

LORD, do good to those who are good,
to those who are upright in heart.
But those who turn to crooked ways
the LORD will banish with the evildoers.

Peace be on Israel (NIV).

Reflection

If someone compared you to a mountain, would you take it as a compliment, or would you be offended? Your answer to that question may depend on your gender. I suspect very few women would like being compared to a mountain. Though I am a male, becoming a mountain of a man has never been one of my ambitions. Nevertheless, Psalm 125 begins by comparing those who trust in the LORD to Mount Zion. Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.

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Hopewell Rocks, New Brunswick — photo by David Kitz

This is the sixth psalm in the Songs of Ascent series, and clearly the psalmist is inspired by his surroundings. He beholds the beauty of Jerusalem, its citadels and the mountains around it. There is something reassuring about a mountain. Mountains have stood the test of time. They have endured when human endeavors have come and gone. In a world of transition, the mountains remain; they stand firm.

Are you like a mountain—solid and immovable? You ask—how can I be? Without the LORD, this is truly impossible. But the psalmist provides us with this assurance: As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.

We only have permanence because of the LORD. He has you surrounded. Are you going through hell and high water? He has you surrounded. Are you facing opposition? He has you surrounded. Is there trouble on every side? He has you surrounded. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.

Again this psalm reassures us that the LORD is on our side. He is working on our behalf. The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil.

Response: Father God, I trust in you. I trust that you are working on my behalf. Help me to become steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58, NKJV). Amen.

Your Turn: Are you becoming steadfast? Do you have enduring faith?

My Rock of Refuge

09 Tuesday Feb 2016

Posted by in Psalm 71, Psalms

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Reading:                                                        Psalm 71

Verses 1-8

In you, LORD, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;
turn your ear to me and save me.
Be my rock of refuge,
to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.

For you have been my hope, Sovereign LORD,
my confidence since my youth.
From birth I have relied on you;
you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.
I will ever praise you.
I have become a sign to many;
you are my strong refuge.
My mouth is filled with your praise,
declaring your splendor all day long (NIV).

Reflection

I must confess that I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with rocks. I grew up on a farm on the Canadian prairies and annually the rich soil produced two crops—a crop of grain and a crop of rocks. Grain crops such as wheat, barley and oats were welcomed—the rocks not so much.

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Hopewell Rocks, New Brunswick – Photo by Karen Kitz

Simply working the soil in spring would bring the rocks to the surface. It was our job as children to help our dad to pick those rocks and haul them off the fields. For the most part it was tedious work. That’s the unpleasant part of my relationship with rocks. But as for the rocks themselves, for the most part I liked them. They came in a huge variety of shapes, colors, sizes and textures. I found them fascinating.

For the psalmist, the LORD was his solid foundation—his rock of refuge in a changing world. Hear his prayer: Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

In the shifting circumstances of life, it is essential that we have those things that remain solid and unwavering. From our childhood onward we need a rock of refuge from the storms of life—a rock to which we can always go in good times and bad.

It’s wonderful when we can say with the psalmist, “From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother’s womb. I will ever praise you.”  

Response: LORD God, thank you for being my solid rock. Your faithfulness has steadied me in stormy times. You have been my help and strength, my shelter and fortress. Amen.

Your Turn: How has the Lord been a solid rock for you?

My Rock and my Salvation

21 Monday Sep 2015

Posted by in Devotionals, Psalm 62, Psalms

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Reading:                                            Psalm 62

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

Truly my soul finds rest in God;
my salvation comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

How long will you assault me?
Would all of you throw me down—
this leaning wall, this tottering fence?
Surely they intend to topple me from my lofty place;
they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless,
but in their hearts they curse.

Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge (NIV).

Reflection

Jesus concluded his Sermon on the Mount by telling the parable of the wise and foolish builders (Matthew 7:24-29). One man built his house on sand, while the other built his home on the rock. Only the house built on the rock was able to withstand the floods and storms of life. Having Jesus and his teaching at the very foundation of your life will help you withstand all the hardship and temptation the world and the devil can throw at you.

Hopewell Rocks, New Brunswick -- David Kitz

Hopewell Rocks, New Brunswick — David Kitz

Did Jesus use Psalm 62 as his story prompter as he told the parable of the wise and foolish builders? Until we pass over to eternity and can question Jesus personally, we cannot know the answer with absolute certainty; nevertheless, there is a striking parallel between Jesus’ built-on-a-rock parable and Psalm 62.

According to this psalm, David found his rest in God. God was his rock. His life rested secure on that eternal foundation. Here is David’s confession: Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

To David’s declaration of allegiance to the Rock, Jesus adds this thought. Our connection to the Rock is established as we put his words—Jesus’ words—into practice. What is your life resting on?

Response: LORD God, you are my mighty rock, my refuge. In this troubled world you are a sure foundation. My soul finds rest in you. Help me put into practice the words of life—the words of Jesus. Amen.

Your Turn: In a changing world has the LORD become your rock of stability?