Many of the references to God as “my Rock” in the Psalms are prayed in the context of personal lament. That means the prayers are being offered in times of personal suffering and struggle. Somehow the very act of crying out to God is an act of trust, and calling God “my Rock” is a deep affirmation that the God to whom we call out is dependable and responsive.
The prayer of Psalm 28 goes on to plead with God not to be silent. This may be a reference to the gods of other nations surrounding David at that time. Those gods were unable to hear, see, or speak. They were deaf and silent, unresponsive and uncaring, represented only by the carved idols they used in worship. So David may well be saying to God, “Don’t be like that! Be who you are! Continue to be the God you have revealed yourself to be! See what evil people are doing, and intervene! And then, several verses later, he sings with confidence, “Praise be to the Lord, for he has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.”
When we find that our circumstances are overwhelming, or it seems everything is falling to pieces, we can call out to God, our Rock, and find that he hears and protects and helps.
Our hearts are filled with gratitude, O God. We call out to you, and you answer us. Be our shepherd and guide us forever, we pray. Amen.
About the author — Julia Prins Vanderveen
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