2 Samuel 22:47 (AMP) The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation.

Psalms 46:10 (AMP) “Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth.”

While in prayer yesterday, I kept going back to “I exalt You, Lord.” There is a reassurance within yourself when you are rooted and grounded in the knowledge that He is our Rock. Why not exalt Him? It comes from what we say He is. We often limit the greatness of God in our lives by filtering His awesomeness through the lens of our view of the world. How can you tell? It is by the words that we speak, by our actions and by the way we respond verbally or non-verbally (your attitude).

Luke 6:46-49 (AMP) “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not practice what I tell you?  Everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words and obeys them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a [far-sighted, practical, and sensible] man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and yet could not shake it, because it had been securely built and founded on the rock. But the one who has [merely] heard and has not practiced [what I say], is like a [foolish] man who built a house on the ground without any foundation, and the torrent burst against it; and it immediately collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”

We are going to have times when the waters of life comes against us. We can either collapse under the pressure or be secure in who we are in Christ. Christ is our Rock. Be still and know (recognize and have a deep understanding) that He is God. We often want God to take us out of the storm or to cancel the storm. How can we exercise our faith or our peace if we never have to use it?

When I read the word foundation, and remembered the rock that it was lain on, I had to go back to Jesus’ question: “who do you say I am?”

Matthew 16:15-19 (AMP) He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of the living God.” Then Jesus answered him, “Blessed [happy, spiritually secure, favored by God] are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood (mortal man) did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades (death) will not overpower it [by preventing the resurrection of the Christ]. I will give you the keys (authority) of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind [forbid, declare to be improper and unlawful] on earth will have [already] been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose [permit, declare lawful] on earth will have [already] been loosed in heaven.”

The word rock is not singular in meaning throughout these verses. In Hebrew, as referred to in the old testament verses, it is tsur, meaning a word that describes God’s constancy, strength, power and presence. In Greek, it is petros, sharing origins with Petra and Peter. Often we reference “rock” here as revelation knowledge (knowledge that you now live by because you understand it). If we are referring to Jewish tradition, they often referred to Moses, so Jesus being the Rock would be God’s provision for us (the grace and goodness of God flowing through Jesus as released through the Holy Spirit).

So which it is? It is all of it. When we try to make the definition singular, when we try to limit to just one aspect, we limit who God can be in our lives. Jesus is asking, “who do you say I am?” If He is Lord, then act like it, stop running the show. If He is your Savior, do you really know what that means? “Sozo” is the greek word for salvation, but it is way deeper than the forgiving of sins. It means wholeness of spirit, soul and body. Is He Immanuel, God with us, then invite Him in to every part of your life. If He is your Prince of Peace, then lay down the anxiety and worry. Can He be your Everything? Can He be the Son of God, the Prince of Peace, Immanuel, our Rock, Prince of Wholeness, our Healer, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father…Everything? If you are not ready to take it all in, I understand, it can be so much. I made up my mind a long time ago that I wanted everything God had for me, so that meant I could not limit who He was in my life. I want that for you life too. Be still and know is the confidence in me to do the hard things. He is my Rock, a firm foundation.

Abba, Father, Creator, God, You are so Marvelous, You are so Holy. Holy, Holy, Holy is Your Name. Thank You for sending Your Son. Thank You for providing the Rock of our Salvation. Thank You for the Holy Spirit. Thank You for our Wonderful Counselor. We repent for not laying the correct foundations in our lives. We are sorry for the times we put in our own reasoning along with Your Goodness and Mercy. We repent for the times we have allowed bitterness, unforgiveness and self pity to take part in who we allowed You to be in our lives. We are sorry for limiting You. We want Your fullness, You make us whole. Our redemption is not just for ourselves, it is for all. Give us the courage today to step out in boldness and proclaim Your Great Name. You are our Everything. We are secure and grounded because of You. Let us not speak anything contrary through our lips. We choose forgiveness today. We choose hope today. We choose joy today. We choose love today. In Jesus Name, Amen.