Be to Me a Rock of Refuge

“Be to me a rock of refuge, to which I may continually come.” – Psalm 71:3 ESV

There are times when we are stuck. When the landscape of our life seems to offer us two, paltry views.

A rock and a hard place.

Unforeseen circumstances, or illness, or lost opportunities, or even troubled relationships create dilemmas and uncertainty and we have no answers.

It’s the proverbial stuck between a rock and a hard place.

It’s having to choose between two choices when neither one will do.

Maybe you’re stuck today. Maybe you feel as if you’re pinned against a rock and the options in front of you are lousy at best. You squirm to the left and to the right, searching for something better, but all you see is a hard way forward.

Why can’t it be easier? Where’s the rescue? You’ve put in your time. You’ve done your best, yet it seems you are destined to suffocate between a cold, unwavering rock and a hard place that looks to steal your hope and rob your peace.

But what if I told you you’re in a good place?

I know it sounds strange, but instead of looking for a way out, what if you pressed into this seemingly cold rock all the more?

I know. You’re pressed to your limits and you’re desperate for space to breathe, but here’s a thought…

What if the rock you feel at your back is the immovable, unshakable, enduring strength and shelter of our God?

And what if we saw this rock as a refuge instead of a threat or a trap?

What if it was a place where we are sheltered from the dogged pursuit of our enemies, or unknown dangers, or lurking troubles?

And what if we saw this rock as a source of refreshing shade protecting us from the heat and fire of our deepest fears and worries?

The psalmist asked that this rock of refuge be a place where he may continually come. The Hebrew word for “continually” is Tamid, which also translates as “always.” He asked that he may always come to the rock. To place his dependence and weaknesses upon it, and find comfort from it’s resilience and strength.

The psalmist had no fear of the rock. He asked for it. Desired it. Sought it. Always.

It was a place to rest and regroup until the landscape in front of him changed and new possibilities bloomed.

I know some of you are facing difficult and heart-breaking situations, and your desire to be free and far away from them is overwhelming. But maybe today could be the day where you trust the Rock who presses in from behind to be bigger than what stands before you.

Let God bring you to a place of rock-solid refuge where His love, power, and strength can watch over you until such a time when fairer skies and warmer hopes come your way.