2007-05-26 - One in Whom We Can Trust

Psalm 61:2, "Lead me to the rock that is higher than me."

Taken on their own, these words are very encouraging. There is a sense of "greater than" attached to these words, and properly so. But these words do not come from the lips of one who is in the midst of triumph and rejoicing. These words follow a cry to the Lord for attention. The Psalm starts off, "Here my cry, O God." It is in the midst of desperation, that David is asking to be brought to the point where he finds his solace in the Lord, and secures that which is greater than Himself. Here he is a great example to us, and we ought to take note of what he does when he is in despair, and we ought to do likewise.

The second part of verse one, is that David goes to the Lord in prayer, "Listen to my prayer." A sad or despairing heart shows itself wise, when it rises far enough out of its melancholy state and seeks the Lord in prayer. David sets up the urgent nature of his situation, starting in verse two, when he says, "From the ends of the Earth, I call to you. I call as my heart grows faint." It is here that the words quoted above, with which we started, are uttered. These words are a cry for deliverance. His soul is overwhelmed.

His situation is desperate. He feels that, in himself, there is no hope. He cries out, "Lead me to the rock that is higher than me." It is our text. They are words of extreme anxiety, and they are words, thoughts, and feelings that we have all experienced. They express a sentiment or outlook that each of us has wrestled with. Times of desperation do test our faith, and we learn if we are resting in the true Rock (Jesus Christ), or if our hope is merely grasping at wind and chasing shadows. Trials show what kind of faith we possess, and we have few better examples given to us in Scripture, as to how we should handle our troubles, than King David.

The Rock that David is appealing to is Christ. He is looking to the One who is greater than he and Who alone is sufficient to meet his needs. This is the only wise way for us to overcome the various tribulations that we endure throughout life. When we are greeted with each day's cares, let us cultivate a habit of prayerfully seeking the Lord. Let us also exercise complete dependence upon the Lord to meet our needs. We can look back upon our lives and see the hand of God's care and kindness toward us throughout our lives. This should give us hope for today. This should help us cultivate a life of deep trust and reliance upon the Lord in any circumstance, and even in spite of our circumstances. Our past experience of God's faithfulness to us should keep us close to Him in our times of need. "The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are safe," Proverbs 18:10.

Soli Deo Gloria,
T-

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