God Our Rock
There are hundreds of different names and titles for God throughout Scripture. And since the Psalms were written from various seasons of life, there are many different perspectives of how God acts within those seasons.
Psalm 18 was written at a time when the author, King David, was delivered from his enemies by God.
In this Psalm, David almost immediately calls God his rock—because God was dependable and stable, and there was nothing that could overtake Him. This truth wasn’t just for David, but for everyone who relies on God.
When we belong to God, He is a rock and a fortress in our lives. Everything in this world is constantly shifting, but we belong to a God who never changes. He is our protection from things that seek to harm us.
We belong to a God who is with us and can protect us. Even if we don’t have physical enemies, we can run to God when life gets difficult. That’s why, like David, our response to God should be filled with praise. We need to remember what He's done—so that way we can praise Him for who He is.
Take some time today to thank God for how He's loved, led, and protected you so far in your life. And if you’re currently in a difficult season, run to God and ask Him for help. He is able and willing to be everything you need!
A Gift Worth Receiving
After Jesus healed a man who had been paralyzed for almost four decades, the religious Jews were angry with Him. This may seem strange, because healing is a good thing, but Jesus performed this miracle on the Sabbath—the day of rest. In the Old Testament, God gave believers a long list of rules to follow in order to stay right with Him, and these rules included honoring the Sabbath.
But in the New Testament, Jesus was sent to change our relationship with the Father. By sacrificing Himself on the cross, He gave us access to a relationship with God—so that long list of rules was no longer needed. Throughout Jesus' life, He shows people the nature of this new relationship. But because it didn’t line up with what the religious establishment believed, they were angry with Him.
In John 5, Jesus justifies these changes through revealing His true authority. By calling God His Father, He shared that He was equal to God. This angered the religious Jews, but it gives us a ...