My friend Jeannie is going through some monumentally hard times – after a painful divorce – her husband left her – she gained a lot of weight, and she could not get it off, then lost her job, then she developed a couple of medical problems related to her weight gain, which made finding a new job even more difficult. And, I could go on, but you know what, I won’t go on. You get the picture. Poor Jeannie – I mean, this friend is a wonderful Christian woman – Jeannie feels absolutely crunched, completely crushed by hardships. Now, she’s not whining or looking for sympathy... but I can understand. Sometimes problems pile on so high they only seem to wear you down, you know? She confided to me the other day that she didn’t feel like she had the strength to even reach out to God.
She asked me what I do when I get that low from pain or from my quadriplegia, or whatever. And that’s when I shared with her the most marvelous portion of Scripture. I’ve been rescued, I told her, more than many times by Psalm 61:2-3, “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.” There it is. And I must tell you there are a couple of things I love about this verse. “First,” I told Jeannie, “No matter if you are at the end of things... at the end of the earth... at the end of yourself, like you, Jeannie, please know God will hear you. You are never so far down and out that God is not near.” Then, I told her, “Psalm 61 is for anybody who has a fainting heart – that includes you,” I said. And friend listening, that includes you, too. You know what a fainting heart feels like: your senses are numb, you feel spiritually tired, battered, and bruised, your prayers don't seem to get answers, God seems far away, you feel like giving up, you feel like throwing in the towel. (Or, you feel like eating more chocolate, like Jeannie). If this describes you, friend, you've got a fainting heart!
But listen, here’s the best part. When the psalmist cries, "Lead me to the rock that is higher than I." Did you get that? You can ask the wonderful Rock of Ages to take you by your weary hand and lead you to Himself. It’s the way Jeannie finally sighed in the weakest of prayers. She said, "Oh Lord, I have absolutely no strength. But I know enough to ask you please, please lead me, inspire me, give me the "want to," give me the desire; Lord, give me the desire to reach out to you. I need to get above things, I need a brighter, clearer outlook on things – and you, Lord Jesus, are the rock that is higher than I am, right now.”
It’s been a while since her husband left her, and Jeannie still has a few pounds to shed – she’s doing that to get her health back – but things are beginning to look up for my friend right now. And Psalm 61, and the grace of God which can be found in it – in all parts of God's Word – is her rock. Jeannie’s doing better, bless her heart, she’s doing better… she’s going to make it. And friend, take this – take Psalm 61 as your encouragement that when the Lord leads you to Himself, the Rock, you’re going to make it too.
Used by permission of
JONI AND FRIENDS
P.O. Box 3333
Agoura Hills, CA 93176
© Joni and Friends