Psalms 61:1

“Lead me to the rock that is higher than I”

Psalms 61 verses 1-2, “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.”

Many of the Psalms in the book of Psalms begin as a prayer. Psalms 61 is another such Psalm. Prayer is talking to God. You can talk to God any time of day regardless of what is going on in your life or what you are doing. You do not have to be in a certain place to pray to God and to receive an answer to prayer because God is everywhere.

What will you do when your heart is overwhelmed? Hopefully you will pray to Jesus Christ.

From the ends of the earth will I cry. In other words king David was determined to reach out no matter how far he had to reach to God to receive an answer to His prayer. Sometimes prayer should be done with great beseeching. If prayer moves God then begging him all the more earnestly will move God even more.

“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.” Jesus is the rock of my salvation. If Jesus is the rock then we have the answer to what we should pray for when our hearts are overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

This prayer gives us insight into the salvation of a soul. When a soul begins touched by the Holy Spirit of God and moved to repentance of sin when a heart finally breaks from its own hardness and becomes overwhelmed with the guilt of sin then perhaps that heart will cry out to Jesus for forgiveness: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Psalms 61:3-4, “For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of Thy wings. Selah.”” These verses explain what it means that Jesus is the rock that is higher than I. It means Jesus is a shelter, a strong tower, and a tabernacle, a place of safety.

Where will you go when those around you hate you and treat you cruelly? Where will you go when the sorrows of life besiege you? Jesus is the shelter in the time of storm the place that you can hide and find rest and peace. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Psalms 61:5, “For Thou, O God, hast heard my vows: Thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear Thy name.”

Verse 5 is an amazing gospel verse. The two key words are vows and heritage. A vow is something you say, something you promise. When a person comes to accept Christ as their Savior why they have vowed a vow. The vow is that Christ will be Lord over their life and that they will love and trust Christ no matter what.

Now we can be thankful that Salvation is by grace through faith and not of our own works. This is also part of the vow. It could be called the vow of faith or the vow of the profession of faith in Jesus Christ.

Romans 10:9-10 says, “That if thou shalt confess with Thy mouth the LORD Jesus, and shalt believe in thine hear that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” This is the vow: Jesus is LORD and he hath risen from the grave.

The last part of verse 5 says: Thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear Thy name.” What is the heritage? Why it is the inheritance.

I Peter 1:3-4 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.”

The inheritance the heritage of them that fear the name of God is incorruptible, and undefiled, and fadeth not away, and is reserved in heaven. This includes a home in heaven and a glorified body untainted by sin.

To think that I am saved by grace, I cannot lose my salvation nor can I lose my inheritance because it is the free gift of God why it is no wonder I pray lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Psalms 61:6-7 says, “Thou wilt prolong the king’s life: and his years as many generations. He shall abide before God for ever. O prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve Him.” These verses teach us many things.

1. Honour those that are in authority. Yes people in positions of authority tend to be over dominating and controlling. But if you are saved you have a heritage and therefore honour those that are in authority.

2. These verses are a reference to Christ as the king of kings. That is why they say, “He shall abide before God for ever.” Christ is the king of kings and therefore He will always receive the greater honour.

Psalms 61:8 says, “So will I sing unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.” In this last verse of Psalms 61 singing and serving God are mentioned. A person who prays to God is likely to sing to God and a person who sings is likely to serve God. That is the connection being made in this verse.

Concerning prayer there is at least one prayer that you should pray. The sinner’s prayer of repentance. If you have never turned to Jesus Christ then you can do so today you can cry out even from the ends of the earth you can cry out to Jesus and He will save you.

$Description: C:\BibleGemsDoc\Image37.gif$

___________________________________________________