DAY 16 | The LORD My Rock

Adonai Tsuri (The LORD My Rock), my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.
Psalm 18:2

photography by Peter Forster / calligraphy by Rita Ip

MUSIC

PRAYER

The LORD My Rock, I give You praise for who You are. You are strong, solid, and permanent. You are my firm and unshakeable foundation.

Jesus, thank You for being my spiritual rock. In times of trouble, You hide me in the cleft of the rock. When I am weak, You lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Forgive me when I forget to look heavenward, and turn to other places for my refuge and my security.

In a fast-changing and unsteady world, and amid every storm, remind me of Your unchanging faithfulness and grant me unwavering faith.

Because You are the LORD My Rock, I declare I will not be shaken. While all other ground is sinking sand, I will set my mind on You and my feet on the solid rock.

A few facts…

Two Hebrew words for rocks are found in the Bible: Sela’ and Tsur. Sela‘ refers to a fissure or split, it speaks of God as a refuge or a hiding place. Tsur refers to a massive and impenetrable rock, it speaks of God’s strength, endurance, and reliability.
Rocks provided shade, shelter, and safety in the wilderness. Rocks were used for constructing altars, temples, houses, and city walls. Israelites used piles of stones to commemorate important events in their history.
God provided water for the Israelites from a rock. The miracle happened twice, the first time in Exodus 17:1-7, and the second time in Numbers 20:1-13.
1 Corinthians 10:1-4 reveals that Christ was the spiritual Rock that followed and sustained the Israelites when they left Egypt guided by Moses.

Exercise 1:

TWO-WAY JOURNALING

Find a quiet space, or try to use your headphones and music to drown out the noises. Sit tall and do a few shoulder rolls to open up your chest and loosen up tight muscles in the neck and upper back.

Smile and breathe. Smile, you are standing firmly on the unshakable rock. Gently breathe in through your nose, as you ponder on the steadfast nature of God. Pause and hold your breath, and give thanks for He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever. Exhale through your mouth a bit longer than you inhale, and slowly release to Him any insecurity or uncertainty you are feeling. Repeat as many times as you like.

Journaling gives you a clearer picture of your inner world, it allows you to dig deeper into what's behind your thoughts and feelings, release to God what no longer serves you, and make space for what matters to Him. Today, we are going to write to The LORD Your Rock. Let Him examine your inner world and allow Him to speak to you. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to guide you, and write down your dialogue with Him in your journal.

[Part 1]
Dear Father / The LORD My Rock …
[Part 2]
Dear child / (your name), …

• You may tell Him about situations, people, or the things they do or say that make you feel insecure, unsafe, or vulnerable.

• You may tell Him where you usually turn to when you feel insecure (e.g. Netflix, food, alcohol, games, shopping, mindless browsing or scrolling, etc.) and how these choices affect you.

• You may ask Him how He wants you to manage your feelings of insecurity or inadequacy.

Check out Appendix 2 for more.

Exercise 2:

DECLARATION

He is The LORD Your Rock, your hiding place, your protection, and your security. How does this relate to the way you live today? In your journal, write a declaration that is relevant to your current situation.

Because You are The LORD My Rock I declare I can / I will / I am…

Read your declaration out loud a couple of times with intent and power. Let it sink into your bones, and become your new belief, your dominant thought. Life coaches and self-help books may tell us to use "positive affirmations" to combat limiting beliefs or automatic negative thoughts. But the declarations we are writing are immeasurably more solid than mere “positive affirmations”. Our declarations are founded on the unchanging attributes of God and Biblical truths.

This completes Day 16 of HE, thank you for joining me. Today, I pray that under any circumstances, you will not be shaken for you are firmly anchored in The LORD Your Rock.