This time of year, many of our young people spend an entire week or two drawing closer to God at High Rock Bible Camp. It is a time of devotion and encouragement while taking part in the beautiful singing, praying, and meditating on God’s word. Delicious food, fellowship, and fun times with good Christian friends are also pieces to the exhausting High Rock experience.
Even though the camp is known for its huge rock cliffs overlooking the campground, High Rock is symbolic for retreating to a place of spiritual revival and renewal–a place to clear the mind and focus on spiritual matters. Its leaders and campers declare, as did Hannah, that “there is no rock like our God” (1 Samuel 2:2), and that He alone is our “rock” and “fortress” (Psalms 18:2). While running from his enemy (king Saul), David retreated to the rocks, also known as the “strongholds” (1 Samuel 23:14, 19). However, David was secure by more than physical stones during those days. His strength and security came from the LORD! Psalm 18 grants us access into the heart of the Psalmist during this trying time of his life: “I will love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my Strength, in whom I will trust…The LORD lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted (Psalm 18:1, 2, 46). We too have an enemy who seeks to make us fall into sin (2 Corinthians 2:11), but we have a Rock much stronger! Just as Moses, whom the Lord placed in the cleft of the rock to keep him safe, so those who are in Christ are in the Rock (Exodus 33:21, 22; Ephesians 1:3; 1 Corinthians 10:4). This begs the question, how does one get into Christ? The only way is to be “baptized into” Him (Romans 6:3; Galatians 3:27). Therefore, those who are in Christ, are in the church (Acts 2:47), and the church is built upon the Rock solid foundation of “the Christ, the Son of the living God'' (Matthew 16:18). The Christian then, has the privilege of living amongst the strongholds–a place of safety and security.
For the Christian who desires to live a faithful life in Christ, there is a necessity of “giving all diligence” in making our “call and election sure” (2 Peter 1:5, 10; 2; 1 John 1:7). We do this by living in close proximity to God: “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:7, 8). We live amongst the strongholds through the study of the scriptures, prayer, and forging a life for Him!
Whether or not one has the opportunity to retreat to the High Rock campgrounds, the Christian must see the necessity for clearing the mind in prayer, readjusting our focus to spiritual matters, and meditating on God’s word. Oftentimes, Jesus retreated to the wilderness or a mountain, away from the crowds of people, to pray to the Father (Mark 1:35; Matthew 14:23). Like Jesus, we realize the importance of clinging to the source of strength, security, and safety–the ROCK, who is our God! Therefore, let us gladly sing, “Rock of ages cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee,” “On Christ the solid rock I stand,” “O Jesus is a rock in a weary land, a shelter in the time of storm,” and “There stands a rock on the shores of time…”