The Rock
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust.
Psalm 18:2
We humans reason largely by means of our hearts and not by our heads. As French mathematician and theologian Blaise Pascal noted long ago, “The heart has reasons that reason does not know.”
Poets, singers, storytellers, and artists have always known this. They use symbols and metaphors that speak to our hearts rather than to our minds. That is why their ideas penetrate where everything else has failed. And that is why we say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Images remain in our minds when all else is forgotten.
In Psalm 18, David wrote, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress, . . . my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (v 2). He was thinking of physical elements that convey spiritual realities. Each picture expresses a deeper thought, linking the visible world to the invisible realm of the Spirit. David does not wander into definition and explanation, for explanation can blunt imagination. Each picture is left hanging in our minds; images that evoke mystery, arouse our imagination, and deepen our understanding.
David wakes up what is hidden deep within us. It is indeed good to think long thoughts about it. What does this mean to you: God is my rock, my fortress, my shield, and my Deliver?
Bible Reading
Psalm 18.1-3.
Prayer
My God and my Rock, my Fortress, Shield and Deliverer, I bless You and praise You, for You are indeed worthy of praise. You are the One True and Living God, Who is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the One God in three persons. Bless this day, and be with me throughout it, I ask in Jesus name. Amen.
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