Lost

Psalm 61:2 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.

It can be hard to tell where you are when you are walking in unfamiliar territory. You look for landmarks to help you orient yourself, a hill, a stream, the direction of the sunlight. And when you haven’t been able to get your bearing for a period of time, you can become desperate.

At least that is how it is portrayed in movies. If you can’t find a Holiday Inn Express, the world has ended. To spend the night in the wilderness is thought to be the death of the characters. Missing a meal means starvation!

But what if you are in an environment where there are no landmarks, like a desert region of flat and monotonous terrain. How do you find your way then? Sand dunes in every direction, and a cloudy sky that obscures the sunlight. You are lost.

The place you are seeking might be just over the next dune, but you have no way of knowing which dune. Or you climb the hill, but the trees at the top completely obscure your view. All you see is trees, more trees, and trees on the distant hills. After a while all trees look the same.

Our text tells about a moment in the author’s life when he was away from the LORD’s presence, whether physically away from Jerusalem or spiritually distant for some unstated reason. He is desperate to get direction from the LORD. He is at the “ends of the earth” when he calls out in prayer. He has run out of strength and ready to faint.

Have you ever been that desperate for the presence of the LORD?

His prayer is simple: let me find a rock that is six foot tall so that I can stand on it and get a little perspective. Because he has lost his way, he feels vulnerable. He wants to come back to the shelter and protection of the LORD’s presence. Which way should he turn?

It often takes just a little height, a little separation from our circumstance in order to gain perspective. We often don’t need a clear picture of the whole situation, or the complete way forward. We often only need to see the next step. That is enough to bring hope.

Someone around you needs help seeing the next step forward. Can you be the one who can allow them to stand on your shoulders so they can gain some perspective?