To the Rock

Recently, I read and studied Psalms 61. One verse -- verse 2 (NASB) -- stuck out to me:

From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

We live in a life that can be overwhelming at times. There are diagnoses, heartaches, brokenness, conflict, sickness, stress and manifestations of depravity of all kinds. And we struggle with our mortal bodies and flesh in both the physical and spiritual sense. It can be a gloomy picture. Yet, there is hope. There is a Light in the darkness.

Still, part of the struggle is that it is not just outside of us, but within us. We are frail, imperfect people in a broken and fallen world. It is easy to be overwhelmed, but think of Psalms 62:2b (NASB): "Lead me to the rock that is higher than I." May that be our prayer.

We can read in the Scriptures the challenges David faced. David authored the 62nd Psalm. We know of the stressors he faced: a giant, hostility from an incumbent king, his life being threatened, his temptation and sin, being king, discord in his own familly and even the death of some of his children. David had reason to be overwhelmed, and sometimes he was. We have reason to be overwhelmed, and sometimes we are. David prayed that God would lead him to the rock that is higher. And when we are overwhelmed, may we go to the Rock higher than us: Jesus Christ.

Consider Hebrews 4:16 (NASB):

Therefore let's approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.

I've mentioned this verse in other writings, but take notice of the words confidence, mercy, grace, need. Do you need mercy? Do you need grace? Are you needy? Are you overwhelmed? In Christ, you can go to God's throne with confidence -- con + fidelis -- "with faith" -- and in Him, you will find mercy and grace in your time of need ... and confidence.

Are you in Him? Are you faithful to Christ? His perfect work -- His life, His death on the cross on our behalf, His resurrection -- is why we can have confidence. I don't mean to sound trite, but are you overwhelmed? Got Jesus? He is the Rock Who is higher than us. May we go to Him when overwhelmed.

However, there is a caveat. I recall years ago seeing a skit at a church. In the skit, a couple was sitting in their comfy home and there was an intercom. And they kept clicking the intercom and saying, "Jesus, could you please ... " and they would have trivial requests such as getting coffee, etc. While being overhelmed is not trivial, we sometimes treat Jesus as a magical genie. He isn't some assistant to help us with our self-serving motives. He is Lord. He is the Rock of Ages. The point is, while we need to go to Him when we are overwhelmed, may we also go to Him when we're not overwhelmed. It comes down to the word abide. The word is translated from the Greek from the words of Jesus in John 15:4 (NASB):

Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me.

"Remain in" captures the idea behind abide. The Greek word is μεινατε "meinate" which comes from the root word μενω "menó" which is a word that means "to stay, abide, remain" (biblehub.com). The point? "To stay." Stay with Jesus. Live in Christ. Don't wait until you are overwhelmed. Living in Christ is for all hours of all days. We don't do it perfectly, but that is my prayer.

And notice the above verse. If we abide in Him, He abides in us. And the fruit of the Christian life flows from Him living in us and our living in Him. Are you overwhelmed? Go to Him. Let Him produce fruit through you. Encourage someone. Serve someone. Look to Christ. Are you not overwhelmed? Does life seem comfortable? Go to Him. Let Him produce fruit through you. Encourage someone. Serve someone. Look to Christ.

Today is the day. It's time to go to the Rock.

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