A Rock Higher
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Introduction
Introduction
Today I want to share for you this portion of Scripture that the LORD led me to this week.
(Ill.) Thursday night while speaking to my mother, she’d told me of a health issue that she’s having. After that phone call, the words of v2 rang in my mind. Psalm 61:2 “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.” The next morning I worked at WCC and God gave me a quick outline of the first four verses of this Psalm. This serves as the basis for the message tonight.
The Title of this message is ‘A Rock Higher’.
It’s written by King David who is struggling and crying out to God for refuge.
What was going on in David’s life specifically, we don’t know. But we do know several instances in the life of David where he was in need of a refuge from God. And I’m thankful God provides!
The first thing to see is A Petition
I. A Petition (v1)
I. A Petition (v1)
Psalm 61:1 “Hear my cry, O God; Attend unto my prayer.”
In this verse we see…
The Appeal
David is calling out to God. He’s asking God to Hear him - in two different ways:
Hear (def) hear intelligently; give audience
Attend (def) incline; mark; to regard; to fix the mind upon
In other words - don’t just hear the words that I’m speaking, but listen intently.
You know there’s a difference between ‘hearing’ and ‘listening’, right? Well, David does too. His appeal unto the LORD is that He’ll give mind unto his petition.
The Appeal
The Agony
Now we see the Agony. David says ‘Hear my cry, O God’.
Cry (def) a creaking (or shrill sound), i.e. shout (for joy or grief)
David is passionately calling out to God!
Do you know what David’s NOT doing? He’s not… ‘Dear God…(monotone, apathetical imitation)’. There’s an agony there - David is hurting. David is a man in need - and he wasn’t ashamed to call out to God for help!
The Agony
The Almighty
‘O God’ - this is who David is calling out to! He’s calling out to ‘the Almighty God!’ He’s calling out someone who can help!
I was just reading in Job today and I love God’s response unto Job as He compares Himself (God) to Job (Read Job. 38:1-18ish.) God in essence is saying ‘Who are you compared to me?’ This is not God bragging, it’s God being real!
Church, there is none like unto God! Man attempts to act like God, he attempts to usurp God’s Authority - but the truth is, when trials come, when sickness comes - man has no answer outside of a petition to God!
WE ARE FEEBLE, BUT GOD IS ABLE!
David calls out to the One who can Help!
We see A Petition in v1. Next we see a Place
II. A Place (v2)
II. A Place (v2)
Psalm 61:2 “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.”
David is asking about a place.
What is it about this place that David sought? How did he describe this place?
It’s a Stable Place
David was seeking stability. He didn’t want to be anchored down on shifting sand - but he sought a rock!
Let me tell you something church, if it’s stability you seek - you’ll find it in Christ!
“My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood & righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ the Solid Rock & Stand, all other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand”
The Bible tells us: 1 Corinthians 10:1–4 “Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.”
Many people root their lives on unstable ground.
On their job / profession
Your job / profession is not guaranteed. Even if you live out till retirement, what then?
On their money
Money is easy come, easy go. The way the economy is, you might find yourself like the Germans 80 years ago who were using their dollars to fuel the stoves so they didn’t freeze to death!
On their family
You’re not guaranteed your family. Their life is like yours - a vapor that can vanish at any second
On their emotions
The most unstable of grounds. Emotions change faster than the winds
Hey, but Christ is solid! He is Sure! You will not go wrong anchored in the Rock that is Christ!
It’s a Stable place he Sought
It’s a Shrouded Place
The way to this place was a mystery to David. This place of comfort & refuge. David needed help in getting there is why he asked the LORD to lead him.
Oftentimes when we’re going through a valley, the light is hindered by the circumstance we are in. The Sun might still be shining, but we’re not able to see it clearly. Sometimes when we’re in distress and hurt, we wander aimlessly and seems as though we make no headway.
Reminds me of (Read Mar. 6:45-53)
They had trouble because they weren’t relying on the Word. They’re hearts were hardened to what Christ had just done for them!
But church, if you’re born again, then it’s the Word that led you there - one way or another. And the Word has the power to lead you to refuge in times of need!
Psalm 119:105 “NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And a light unto my path.”
It’s a Shrouded Place
It’s a Superior Place
It’s a place ‘higher’ than where he is now.
David sought ‘Higher Ground’. He wasn’t satisfied staying where he was at. He wasn’t satisfied with the status quo.
The place that David sought was a Superior place
It’s a Place from Which you can See
An advantage of Higher Ground is that you get a better view of the situation than where you are currently. Especially when it comes to warfare - and David was a man of war - the higher position is the best strategic position.
Many Christians when we’re going through trials, we have a hard time seeing the forest for the trees. We can’t see the ‘big picture’ because the view that we have. We get lost in the details of what’s going on and have a hard time seeing as God sees.
David wanted to see more clearly what God was going to accomplish in this situation.
Remember church, no matter the situation or circumstance you’re in, we can take refuge in Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
It’s a Place from which you can See
We see A Petition; a Place; now a Past
III. A Past (v3)
III. A Past (v3)
Now here what we’re going to notice is that this verse is a hinge. What I mean by that is the entirety of the psalm hinges on it. It tone & tenor of this psalm turns on this one verse here.
Prior to this the words are agony and desperation. Moving forward we’ll see that they are confident and uplifting… all because of what’s said in v3.
He’s been a Shelter
‘Thou hast been…’ past tense.
David is now recalling that whenever the storm was rolling in the past, he’s been able to find refuge in God.
There’s not been a time in David’s life where God had let Him down. It didn’t matter if it was a lion, a bear, a giant or a king - David found refuge & help in the LORD!
David said: Psalm 27:4–5 “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: In the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock.”
He’s been a Shelter for David
He’s been a Strong Tower
Not only has God been a Shelter, where he’s been able to escape the elements, but He’s been a Strong Tower for protection from the Enemy!
He’s been a Strong Tower - because there is a Sly Enemy
Because there’s a Sly Enemy
Make no mistake. Satan wants:
… you distracted.
… you defeated.
… you to focus on your surroundings so that you take your eyes of Christ
… you to be unproductive
… you on shifting sand
And he doesn’t specialize on open warfare, but rather covert operations. Don’t ever forget God’s first description: Genesis 3:1a “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made…”
‘The devil is a sly old fox,
I’d like to catch him and put him in a box…’
David Remembers the Past
We see A Petition; a Place; a Past; a Pledge
IV. A Pledge (v4)
IV. A Pledge (v4)
David now vows a few things unto the LORD
To Continue Closely
David says ‘I’m not straying! I’m be right nigh unto you forever!’
Another song came to mind as I considered this point:
“I shall not be moved”
(Ill.) I heard a wrestler refer to his friend (another wrestler) on a documentary recently and he said something like this: “You know I knew, that if something ever went down and they found me laying out somewhere - they’d be laying right beside me”. I thought - wow, that’s a powerful testimony of an endearing friendship.
Now the question is: Could God say that about you? If Satan came boasting about the fickleness of man, could God look down and point to you and say “Have you considered my servant Job”?
David vowed to Continue Closely
To have Confidence in His Covering
Trust - do you know what is a synonym for trust? FAITH
David said ‘I will TRUST in you!’
Let me ask you this: Do you think that pleased God? Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
The only way you CAN please God is through faith!
David pledges to have Faith in His God’s ability to shelter him from the storm
We see A Petition; a Place; a Past; a Pledge, lastly a Product
IV. A Product (v5-8)
IV. A Product (v5-8)
In the final verses, we see the product of David’s Petition and the Place he sought. We see what a remembrance of what God hath done gives us.
A Fearful Heritage
David rested in the promise that God had made concerning the Messiah: 1 Chronicles 17:11–14 “And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee: But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore.”
David rested in the promise of the Fearful Heritage
A Sustaining Faith
v5-6
Next we see again that confidence & steadfast faith that David has in his God
A Sustaining Faith
A Song Forever
Psalm 61:8 “So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, That I may daily perform my vows.”
So David goes from Crying out and being overwhelmed to singing the praises of God!
Church, if you want to go from Sorrow to a Song, just remember that the God who did, is the God who still does! Trust in the promises of God!
(Ill.) I know that whatever befalls in my life. Whether it be with me, or someone I love - I have a God who…
…can turn Sorrow into a Song,
…Lamentations to Joy.
…He’s a Shelter and a Strong Tower.
…The Past is a Promise that He’ll never Leave nor Forsake - and I can trust in Him.
And you can too.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Maybe sing “Only Trust Him” - pg. 301