I Got a Rock || Psalm 62:7 || Manna for the Mind #34

Welcome to Day 34 of my “Manna for the Mind” devotional series! This series takes a passage of scripture (typically 1-3 verses) and builds its understanding through its context and connecting scripture. Doing this helps us understand what the Bible truly teaches us. 

Psalm 62:7

7             My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.

The common theme for today’s devotional is refuge. The Hebrew noun for refuge is machaseh or machseh (makh’-as-eh’), which means refuge and shelter. Specifically, it talks about shelter from danger. It comes from the Hebrew verb chasah (khaw-saw), which means to seek refuge. It refers to fleeing for protection. The concept relates to the Hebrew verb batach (baw-takh’), meaning to trust.

If we put it all together, believing that God is our refuge means trusting that he will protect and shelter us from all dangers. The psalmist finds his victory and honor in God. What does that mean?

Victory can be understood as salvation, which is the Hebrew noun yesha (yeh’-shah). It refers to many different things: deliverance, rescue, salvation, safety, and welfare. In this context, it refers to God’s spiritual rescue from sin. It comes from the Hebrew verb Yasha (yaw-shah’), meaning to deliver. It talks about being safe and free from danger.

Honor is the Hebrew noun kabowd (kaw’-bode), which means glorious. It refers to the honor or glory of a Father. It comes from the Hebrew word kabad or kabed (kaw’-bad’), which means heavy, weighty, or burdensome. It describes being abounded by something, boasting about something, or being dim about something. The central concept is the weightiness that comes with sharing the glory of God. It’s the impact of it. Now, let’s put it ALL together.

The safety and impact of God’s glory on me comes from God alone. He is my source of safety and security. I want you to pause and think about a time when God has helped protect you from a dangerous situation. For me, it’s been rare to be put in a situation where I was physically in danger. Yet, I’ve had a lot of situations where my mental state has had me terrified. I remember after my grandpa died back in 2014, I wasn’t right. Things felt normal, but I remember the exact time and place where I had to pause what I was doing and realize, “Something isn’t right.” The thoughts and spirals over trying to handle it on my own were draining, but God shined that insight upon me and thus began my therapy journey. Yes. I’ve been in therapy on and off for the last 10 years.

I battle with intrusive thoughts constantly. Thoughts that I’m not entirely comfortable sharing on this platform, but thoughts enough that scare me, frustrate me, and bring me anxiety. Thoughts that I can say I’d never act on, but I don’t have deep-down confidence to believe that. Thoughts that have made me question my integrity, character, identity, morals, ethics, and many other facets of my life. I’ve had a variety of identity crises that have confused and frustrated me to death. But God, right? It’s easy for Christians to say, “But you just need to pray about it,” or “God’s going to take care of you.” While these are true, they aren’t the whole truth. God will do that, but we need to believe it in our hearts. We should not just believe as a matter of fact but believe what God will do will come into action. It’s leaning on our faith. It’s trusting that God will do it despite our circumstances.

My prayer for you today is shown in the verse I encourage you to memorize and keep on your heart. This verse is one that I have repeated to myself a handful of times when I find myself struggling. The verse is this:

“God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.” – Psalm 46:1