LEAD ME TO THE ROCK!

LEAD ME TO THE ROCK!

Ps 61

To the chief Musician upon Neg'-i-nah, A Psalm of David. 61 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.

5 For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.

6 Thou wilt prolong the king's life: and his years as many generations.

7 He shall abide before God for ever: O prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him.

8 So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.

         David was not at “the ends of the earth” although he felt that way. He was in the midst of a long and cruel captivity. Someone has asked: “Who can bear prosperity?” The Jews were always more faithful to their God while in captivity than in their own land in peace and safety. So, I think, it is with us. The word “overwhelmed” is from a word that means “shroud” and we might infer that David felt himself wrapped in the garments of death.

         The wording of verse 2 is interesting to me. David says WHEN, or whenever, my heart is overwhelmed. It tells me he has been in this situation before and so he knows what to do and where to run. He asks to be led to his rock. The image of the Lord as a rock is a familiar one in David’s writings. A rock represents a place of solid stability. It won’t move like the shifting sand of trouble. A rock also provides a high vantage point from which we might see clearly. Trouble clouds our thinking and obscures our vision. We need to be led to the rock.

         David rehearses God’s care when he says: “Thou hast been a shelter for me!” This is the equivalent of Romans 8:28 which tells us that “all things work together for good to those that love God.” We see God’s provision and protection more clearly as we look backward. David glances back upon God’s care and gains courage for going forward into the unknown.

         Our church has endured the deaths of three precious members within just a few weeks. Collectively we feel a bit overwhelmed but God is our Rock and our strong tower. Perhaps you are feeling shrouded and submerged by trouble today. You need to know that there is a rock that is strong and steady. There is a rock that is high which provides a clearer view. This rock is Jesus. David wrote another Psalm that has become a modern choral hymn of praise.  

Ps 3:2-3

2 Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.

3 But thou, O Lord , art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

Dear Lord, be my shield today and the lifter up of my head. AMEN