Lead Me to The Rock
From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. (Psalm 61:2)
Have you ever faced something that seemed insurmountable? On Wednesday, July 19, 1989, Mark Wellman began his ascent up the 3,000 vertical feet of El Capitan, a sheer rock granite in Yosemite National Park. A few rock climbers have successfully scaled El Capitan, but this time was different. Mark gained national recognition by becoming the first paraplegic to have climbed El Capitan with newspaper headlines reading, “Paraplegic and partner prove no wall is too high to scale." This feat was made possible with the support of his trusted friend, Mike Cobertt, who climbed ahead of Mark to anchor ropes at each stage of the ascent. Together, Mark and Mike reached the summit. Like Mark, we can face mountains in life that make us feel overwhelmed. During those times God promises to be our trusted guide.
In Psalm 61, King David found himself in circumstances that were beyond his control. Although the nature of his despair is not spelled out, he shares that his suffering wore on him to the point of despair. David’s urgent prayer was that he would be able to experience peace in God’s presence by reaching the summit of The Rock, a motif for Christ, the ‘Rock of Ages.’ David is well aware that the rock is too high for him to reach in his own strength, so he cries out to God to be his mountain guide. Only by trusting in God’s leading will he be able to scale the mountain and take refuge. Only by depending on God’s unfailing love will David experience the rest he seeks in the rock that is higher than him, a rock where rest can only be found in the presence of Christ.
It can be overwhelming to consider that our holy God would be willing to be our mountain guide. He knows that in our own strength we could never scale the mountain of loss, fear, despair, anxious thoughts, or hurtful habits. But through His love and grace He leads us to Christ our refuge. Only in Christ will we be above the reach of the enemy seeking to conquer Christ’s loved ones. For David, troubles appear to lose their grasp when they are surveyed from the pinnacle of God’s perspective. Today, may our prayer be, “God lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”
Reflect
What insurmountable mountain are you facing today? How does the assurance of God being your devoted guide give you comfort?
The “rock that is higher than I” represents Christ, the Rock of Ages. What are some ways we can attempt to reach the summit in our own strength?
Since you can never reach the summit of Christ by yourself, what specific areas is God asking you to trust Him with today?
