In these prayerful words of Psalm 61, we hear the cry of a child of God who is being overwhelmed by some awful crisis that is pressing upon him like a great and terrible flood. I can only imagine the dire circumstances that must have weighed upon the mind of the psalmist, as we hear his heartfelt petition, seemingly from the very limits of his endurance: “Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I,” (verses 1-2). Whether the emergency prompting this prayer was a specific incident in David’s life, or whether it was more a reflection on a combination of past experiences, David was looking to the Lord alone for help in times that must have been trying in the extreme. But, notice what it is that this faithful one cries out for. We do not hear him petition for the great trials to be removed, but rather for the rock which will lift him above all cares and concerns of this life; for the rock which the Lord alone will certainly lead him to. This rock is high enough to raise him up above the floods of trouble, and to lift him to a higher plane.

Does it not seem, at times, that desperate circumstances come upon us in waves, threatening to surround and overwhelm us like a great flood? Such times can be terrifying, as we see the floodwaters rise, and there is no relief in sight. What we need at such times is a rock rising above the troubles waters; a solid rock, a place of rest and safety far above the threatening circumstances of this world. We need the rock that is higher than I.

Now, David does not seek just any rock, but only the rock which the Lord Himself will lead him to. David calls upon the Lord to conduct him safely to this rock, and to set his feet there upon that place, far above the rising floods. What’s more, this child of God knows with all his fiber that he can depend upon the Lord to bring him to this place of peace and rest.

My dear friend, I wonder if you have experienced such a time of overwhelming circumstances in your life. Perhaps you are in the midst of such a flood of trouble just now as you read these words. Maybe you are under severe attack by enemies that seek to ruin you, or business or financial woes have encompassed you all around. Perhaps the grip of serious illness is upon you, and there seems to be nothing but the rising waters of suffering before you. If this is your case, my dear friend, I’m sure you will find it comforting to know that the very God of the universe, the One whose eye was upon David so long ago, has His eye upon you personally just now. We read in Psalm 34:15: “The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry.” But just like with David of old, the Lord may not choose to remove the flood of trials that have come upon us, yet we must never mistake this for a lack of care for His own. If He will not remove the flood, then surely He will set us above our fears by the knowledge of his presence with us, knowing of His perfect plan and good intentions for those who are His own: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end,” (Jeremiah 29:11).

In times of trouble, we can and must call upon Him for that Rock that is higher than I. But, what exactly is that Rock? I believe we find the answer stated very clearly in Psalm 18:1 where we read, “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower”. The Lord is our Rock, and it is to God Himself that we must be brought in those times that try the soul.

David knew, as we can know too, that the Lord is faithful and good, and He will be with us in every trial, and will certainly lead us to Himself when we cry out to Him in faith in those times of our extremity; He will lead us to this rock that is higher than I. The psalmist knew this to be true by his own past experience in walking with the Lord, as we read in Psalm 61:3, “For Thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy”. In countless experiences walking through troubled waters with the Lord, David had learned to depend upon his God as his shelter and fortress, and the only One who can truly deliver. What’s more, he knew that despite the apparent emergencies of this life, the Lord will keep His own, and bring them to a blessed future with Himself. We read in verses 4 and 5, ”I will abide in Thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of Thy wings. Selah. For Thou, O God, hast heard my vows: Thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear Thy name”.

Are you a believer on the Lord Jesus Christ? If you are, then you can know with assurance that you too possess this “heritage of those that fear Thy name”, as we read in Colossians 1:12, “Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:”. You can know with assurance that, “…He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them,” (Hebrews 7:25). My dear friend, if you are a child of God, having placed your trust in Christ Jesus for your salvation, then come what may in this world, you can truly be lifted above even the most desperate flood of hard circumstances in this life. You can look over this scene of grim disappointment with perfect confidence for a bright future in the presence of the Lord, as we read in John 14:1-3: “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also”.

But now, my dear friend, if you know in your heart that you have not yet believed on the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, these words of Psalm 61 may seem hollow, and afford little comfort for you. It may be that you see no guiding hand from above, leading you and caring for you in your times of distress. Perhaps you feel greatly oppressed by the fatigues and dangers of this life, and do not know where deliverance may come from. Then please know that a door to peace and rest is open to you just now, right where you are. Our Lord Jesus calls to you at this very moment to come to Him as we read in Matthew 11:28: “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” This is a promise from the Lord Jesus Himself, and it is especially for you. I pray that even as you read these words, you will accept His invitation and come to the Lord Jesus in faith, believing on Him for your salvation. Remember, “…as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name,” (John 1:12).