Lead Me to the Rock



Psalm 61
1Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer;
2from the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint. Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I,
3for You have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.
4Let me dwell in Your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of Your wings! Selah
5For You, O God, have heard my vows; You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name.
6Prolong the life of the King; may His years endure to all generations!
7May He be enthroned forever before God; appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over Him!
8So will I ever sing praises to Your name, as I perform my vows day after day.

It’s been one of those weeks; lots of details, lots of hard work, exhaustion, and now it’s over! In the midst of this week was a personal event that brought much angst and inner turmoil. As I stand outside of it all and ponder these events it looks like the waves in the ocean. For a few moments, there is peace and calm. Then another wave of concern comes along and the boat rocks violently. Throughout the week, I have been briefly successful at handing the whole deal over to God – briefly. But I’m pretty good at snatching things out of His hands and taking them on again as my own responsibility. Then Friday rolls along and I’m faced with this psalm and it is perfect in every way.

We are not certain what events provoked David to write this prayer. There were certainly numerous events in his life that would move him to cry out to God for refuge. But as I read them, I was transported back to David’s reign when times were good and he and God had some serious conversation about his role in world events – yes, world events. In 2 Samuel 7 we find David finally at peace as the King of Israel. He has conquered his enemies and looks at what God has done for him. His response is to want to do something for God; he wants to build God a temple. Being the godly man that he is, he asks God for confirmation about this task and God says, “Thanks, but no.” David receives a ‘no’ from God. But along with that ‘no’ comes a promise that a descendant of David will sit upon the throne in eternity! This is a Messianic promise. God promised Adam and Eve that He would send a Savior. He promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that they would be a mighty nation that would result in the coming of a Messiah. And now God promises David that his descendant would be the Eternal King. This is the King that David speaks of in the last three verses of this prayer. We now know that “King” to be Jesus Christ, our Eternal Savior and the promised Messiah.

In the midst of our personal turmoil, it is comforting to call out to “the Rock that is higher than I” and know that He is indeed there, available, and ready to take on our concerns. We too can spend our time praising the Living and Eternal King rather than perseverating on things over which we have no control. At the end of a busy week, it is pure joy to say with David, Let me dwell in Your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of Your wings.

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