Non-stop news. Overflowing schedules. Phones that won’t stop dinging. Mental and emotional frakis. You’re right, “frakis,” isn’t a word, but you get the gist.
Not everyone’s life is like this. But for a lot of people this is a daily reality.
One of my favourite verses from the psalms is Psalm 61:2. David says: “lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” To me this is about regaining perspective, sanity and safety. Here’s why.
David was often engaged in battle. His life was under constant threat. As a leader he had umpteen responsibilities crushing at him from every angle. Imagine being in his shoes (or sandals!) Imagine climbing up a large hill or mountain and arriving at the top. This is “the rock that is higher than I.” When you’re high up you can see down. It’s easier to see enemies approaching. You can see farther and with greater clarity.
The high rock is the place of perspective and stillness.
Where is your “rock that is higher than I”? Maybe it is a church sanctuary. Maybe it is on a favourite trail in the woods. Maybe it is a hill overlooking your house. Maybe it is a prayer closet where no one can find you!
Hopefully you have one.
We all need some time and space to regain perspective. It was true for David, and it’s true for you. If we never unplug or slow down, the chaos becomes normalized. And when the chaos becomes normalized, we often lose our ability to see things as they really are, to discern the voice of God, and to step outside the clatter to move forward in a healthy, godly way.
In a world that spins, stillness is a revolutionary way of life.
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
Notes:
–Are you looking for a place to worship on Christmas Eve? Click here for what’s happening at Westminster in Barrie, Canada.
–Bible quotes are from the NIV.
The Up Devotional 