This psalm or hymn, attributed to King David, twice offers essentially the same declaration of faith. In verse 2, he sings: "He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken." Then again, in verse 6, he sings almost word-for-word the same refrain. The only difference being that David initially sings "I will never be shaken" and then sings "I will not be shaken."

David's reference of God as his "rock" foreshadows the Apostle Paul's declaration that Jesus is the "chief cornerstone" (Ephesians 2:20), and Peter's assertion that Christ is "the stone which…is become the head of the corner" (Acts 4:11). Rocks imply stability and dependability. However, the devil is called "the prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2); air being something that does not share the stability of stone, just as the devil cannot not be relied upon in the way Christ can. Thus, much like Jesus' teaching about the "wise man" who built his home on a "rock," whereas the "foolish man" built his on "sand" (Matthew 7:24-27)-in our Psalm for today, King David uses one more construction metaphor, speaking of his "fortress," "refuge," or house. He informs his readers that building your home on that "rock" will guarantee that no earthquake can take it down.

These are challenging times, and there seem to be "quakes" of various kinds throughout the world, and almost daily. Surely you have experienced them in your life much as I have experienced them in mine. Thus, David's counsel is wise when he sings that God is like a "rock" on which you can build. And if you do, nothing can "shake you" … absolutely nothing! Yes, David is right that Jesus is our "Salvation," but that's not all that He is. He is our stability in an ever-shifting world. He is a "fortress" or place of protection is a world filled with dangers. He is our protector in a life that "rocks" us day to day, and sometimes makes us wonder, "Will there even be a tomorrow?"