Lead me to the Rock

Psalm 61:1–4 KJV

1 Hear my cry, O God; Attend unto my prayer. 2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 3 For thou hast been a shelter for me, And a strong tower from the enemy. 4 I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.

The Low Places

Psalm 61:2 KJV

2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

From the ends of the earth

Circumstances can put us far away from our anchor in God.

Disillusionment: Cross referencing to Abraham’s promise that he would inherit the earth, perhaps this is a reference to calling from the perimeter of blessing.

Adversity: Possibly written by David during a military excursion, perhaps even in his flight from Absalom, when he was separated from Jerusalem. Separated from the presence of God by some unhappy necessity, I cry ‘from the ends of the earth’

Despair: Possibly on the brink of the netherworld, or at the end of one’s rope.

When my heart is overwhelmed

Not if, but when my heart is overwhelmed, because it is certain that we will face overwhelming circumstances and seasons in life.

That certainty helps us understand the enduring affinity with Job’s experience of Jb 23.8-9

“8 Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; And backward, but I cannot perceive him:

9 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: He hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him:”

The High Places

The Rock

Psalm 61:2 KJV

2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

A sure place, and probably a mountaintop - such as Sinai, Zion, etc.

Revelation: (to fortify against the disillusionment)

Mt 16.15-18 “15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Wisdom: (to fortify against the adversities that oppose)

Mt 7.24-25 “24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.”

Chief cornerstone, a sure foundation (Isa 28.16)

Sustenance: A rock from which water will flow

1 Cor 10.1-4 “1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.”

A hiding place, like the cleft in the Rock where Moses was hidden in the presence of God.

Higher than I

There are a lot of rocks that people flee to, but there is the Rock that is higher than I.

Self sufficiency is a low form of protection.

The Rich fool of Lk 12.13-21 reminds us of the folly of trusting in what we have stored up for ourselves

Wealth can be representative of any kind of capacity we accrue to ourselves that tempts us to trust in ourselves

1 Tim 6.10-12 reminds us not to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God.

Jn 15.5 “5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

God empowers the good in our lives.

Dt 8.11-18 “11 Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: 12 Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; 13 And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; 14 Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; 15 Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint; 16 Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end; 17 And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. 18 But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.”

Faith elevates you

Ps 18.31-35 “31 For who is God save the Lord? Or who is a rock save our God? 32 It is God that girdeth me with strength, And maketh my way perfect. 33 He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, And setteth me upon my high places. 34 He teacheth my hands to war, So that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. 35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: And thy right hand hath holden me up, And thy gentleness hath made me great.”

Comfort and Determination to Stay

Remember

Psalm 61:3 KJV

3 For thou hast been a shelter for me, And a strong tower from the enemy.

Look forward to the Rock because he has history of protecting you in times past.

There is often a connection between storms and tests of faith

1 Pt 1.5-7 “5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”

You have been a shelter for me

Footprints poem - it was then, that I carried you

A shelter and a strong tower - a protection against all kinds of threats.

Reassurance

Psalm 61:4 KJV

4 I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.

Commitment to remain

Confidence that I will not be removed

Lead me

Sometimes we can’t go somewhere alone; we need to be led. We can know these things, or perhaps simply want to believe that they’re true. But to get from the low places to the high places, we need to be led there - by friends, by a guide, by God himself. Lead me!

The Ethiopian Eunuch and Philip

How can I, except someone guide me?

Jesus Christ, the Way

Jn 14.4-6 “4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. 5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”