Yahweh Tsuri - The Lord is My Rock
I can imagine David, sitting down, for the first time in a long time. Just long enough to catch his breath. Enjoying the unfamiliar comforts of peace of mind, a consistent place to lay his head, and time to rest his battle-worn body. It was in this moment he realized that he was finally free from all his enemies and the attacks of King Saul. I imagine David could only think back on the goodness and protection of God. Filled with praise and gratitude, David begins to scribe what we read today as the first verse of Psalm 18, and exclaims, “I love you, O Lord, my strength”.
I envision David replaying in his mind all of the challenges he endured before coming to this place. He remembered when he and his men faced an overwhelming army. It was a mountain of solid rock that became his fortress and shield, protecting him from the enemy.
Even as a boy, when tasked with facing a ferocious Philistine giant, it was yet again, a rock that delivered the enemy into his hands. And throughout his life as he sought out refuge from the bitterness of nature and man, it was in caves of rock where he felt most protected. In David’s life there was nothing more secure, nothing more comforting, nothing more familiar than the protection of Yahweh Tsuri - The Lord, My Rock. David continues to praise the name of Yahweh Tsuri in Psalm 18:2 (ESV):
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Can you relate to David in this psalm? Think about all the times God stood firm, protecting you, as an ever-steady rock. Through the chaos, challenges, and calamity of life, God was always there. As we endure times of volatile financial markets, reports, seemingly every day, of new viruses and disease, and navigate a rapidly changing world, God is a firm foundation.
The same Yahweh Tsuri that hid David, protects us today! Aren’t you glad to serve a God that said in Malachi 3:6, “For I am the Lord, I change not…” Like David, let us profess our love for the Lord, and remember, all around is may be sinking sand, but Yahweh Tsuri is The Lord, My Rock, indeed a firm foundation upon which we stand.
- By Pastor DJ Bagwell at Citylife church, Tampa, FL
djbagwell@hotmail.com
BONUS CONTENT!
Enjoy this original song “Rock!” by Liz Dieleman, PBS Creative Director and worship leader at Mosaic Church, Victoria BC.