Psalm 61:2 From the ends of the earth I call to you,
I call as my heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

To me this seems to be a very representative prayer of David. One of the things that made him “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14) was that he was very aware that God was bigger and stronger than he was. Accordingly, when he reached the end of his own resources, he cried out to God. It’s almost amusing that he used the expression, “the ends of the earth,” when he never traveled more than a few hundred kilometers from his birthplace his whole life, but this prayer is from emotional distance rather than physical distance. All of us have moments when we feel like we’re “in the middle of nowhere,” emotionally and/or spiritually. David knew what to do when that happened, so he did it. The imagery of a big rock might not click for us today, but being on top of such a rock was a place of safety and security in the wilderness. Enemies and wild animals would have trouble endangering you there. That’s why in the next verse David speaks of God as his refuge. A major problem for us is that we tend to turn to things other than God for refuge, and that never turns out well. Our reliance on God needs to be more than theoretical. As the saying goes, “when push comes to shove,” we need to turn first to God.

This is a truth God has been teaching me my whole life, so it is ironic when I fail to live it out with full consistency. I think I do turn to Him first, but I also tend to grasp at other things as well. Part of that is the whole matter of “Jesus with skin on,” that is, people who are God’s agents to us in various situations. He does speak to us through others, and I need to be ready to hear Him however He speaks to me. I delight to be His agent in speaking, but I must be sure to listen when He speaks to me through someone else! At this point in my life I am quite aware of some of my limitations, and physically speaking, those limitations will increase as I get older. However, God will continue to be totally unlimited, and His wisdom and strength are available to me as I am yielded and obedient to Him. As He has told me to do, I need to rest, relax, and rejoice in Him!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for getting me through yesterday’s packed schedule, and that You will get me through today and tomorrow that are similarly packed. Help me recognize Your timing for each thing that needs to get done, so that I may flow with Your Spirit on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!