God Is Our Trust Rod of Strength and Support

“The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation”
(Psalm 118:14).

I have been blessed to be part of contemporary worship teams for quite a few years now.  I play the piano, but I recently learned some information about the guitar that I found quite interesting.

Many guitars have something called a truss rod in the neck.  This rod is required for guitars with high tension strings.  Without this rod, the natural tendency of the wooden neck is to bend beyond repair due to the tension from the strings.

Tension is not the only thing that can bend the neck. Changes in environment and temperature can also cause it to warp, twist, or even break.  The truss rod protects the guitar from becoming permanently damaged due to any of these causes.

I thought about how well this concept pertains to our lives.  Pain and illness create a lot of tension.  Sometimes we feel the pressure is too great for us to endure.  We may have circumstantial or environmental stressors as well, but the truss rod of God’s strength keeps us from bending and breaking.  We may seem to be damaged now, but we know it’s not permanent.  Eternal perfection is coming.

 

The original meaning of the word truss was something that ties or binds, and today it describes a type of supporting framework.  God is the supporting framework who holds us together. And as we bind ourselves to Him, we can keep praising and trusting Him even through the most tense and stressful times.  When we feel ourselves bending, He straightens us. We will not break. 

 

The word “truss” sounds very much like the word “trust”, doesn’t it?  God is our “trust” rod at all times, enabling us to handle all the tensions and problems we face.  He truly is our strength, our song, and our salvation.

Prayer: O Lord, many times I begin to bend under the tensions of my pain and problems.  Sometimes I feel as though I am going to break from the strain of life’s stresses and my own weaknesses.  But I thank You that no matter how great the tension, the trust rod of Your faithfulness and strength support me.  Amen.