Lead Me to the Rock That is Higher Than I

This week I have spent some additional time reflecting on the words of Psalm 61. In the opening few verses of that wonderful psalm, David prays the following words.

“Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings.”

There are five distinct images that David uses to describe the strength and protection of God. These phrases are not simply poetic devices, but for David they are experiential knowledge and awareness. They come from a man who has walked many miles with God, and is able to look back over the road and confidently declare all that God has been to him and done for him.

Considering the Text
Lead Me to the Rock: He first pleads with God that he might be led to the “rock that is higher than I.” David was a shepherd, and was therefore familiar with the great rocks that spotted Israel’s countryside. A rock that was “higher than him” would have served many purposes. For starters it would have provided shade from the hot sun at midday. David would have basked in the cool air of the shadow of the rock, as he took a rest from his weary work.  But it was more than shade that David had mind. He also considered the strength and stability of God. In fact, referring to God as his “rock” was one of David’s favorite metaphors, being used 27 times in the Psalms alone.

Psalm 18:2 “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Psalm 78:35 “They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God their redeemer.

Psalm 89:26 “He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.’

This theme, of God’s strength and protection was deeply embedded in David’s heart.

Refuge: Secondly, David says that God has been his refuge. A refuge was a place of escape from danger. Perhaps as readers, we recall the season in David life when he fled from Gath, the city of the Philistines, and “we are told in 1 Samuel 22:21,”took refuge in the cave of Adullam” (1 Samuel 22:21 CSB). This refuge was a place where he could catch his breath, and know that he was protected from the storms and the chaos that waited for him outside the walls of the refuge. It is as if David is saying, “Even in the walls of that cave where I hid to take refuge, even there you were the true refuge, you were my true protection.”

Strong Tower: He calls God a “strong tower against the enemy.” David was a man of war, and he knew very well the importance of high ground in battle, and particularly the advantage of a strong and well defended tower. A strong tower built into a wall, gave archers a place to stand in a properly defended position and launch attacks against the enemy. In those days, a city with no wall and no tower was vulnerable to all kinds of attacks. But a well-constructed city with walls and towers at the right places was difficult for even the largest armies to conquer. David says that God is his strong tower. God is the place where David stands with confidence when the enemy approaches the gates. God is the place where David plants his feet in order to look the enemy down, and feel secure that though he may be outmatched and outgunned on his own, he still has the high ground of the strong tower and cannot be defeated.

Tent: Fourth, he refers to his desire to dwell in God’s tent. When an army would go out to battle, the men would pitch their tents. A typical military man’s tent in that day would have been simple. It was not necessarily as secure or protected as a home might have been, but it would have sheltered him from rain. The King’s tent, however, was wholly different. The King’s tent was like a great room of a portable castle. The King’s tent was typically beautifully decorated, with fine furniture, a comfortable bed, valuable rugs on the floor, and well protected by the military. David desires to be in the comfort and safety of the King’s tent. His life was difficult and full of trial, and yet he never gave up hope that God would lead him to his tent. That God would invite David in to a place of sharing in the splendor of God and all that is his.

Sheltering Mother Bird: Lastly, David pleads with God to take shelter “under the shadow of your wings.” This is by far the most personal of the images that David uses. He has in mind a mother bird, who when bad weather or some potential danger threatens the safety of her young children, will gather the tiny ones under her wing. If the rain is going to fall, it is going to fall on the mother, and not on the children. It is the mother that will sacrifice herself for those little ones she loves. David imagines God like that mother-bird who will do whatever it takes to sacrifice himself in order to love and protect those whom he loves.

Some Personal Reflections
This morning as I was praying I took a moment to look back over the countless ways God has been my strong tower just over the past few years. Of course, he is my strong tower in the seeming mundane moments as well as the more extraordinary, nevertheless from time to time, the extraordinary moments give opportunity to be reminded of the rock that is higher than I. My mind raced through a handful of realities.

I thought about car crash two years ago, that I miraculously walked away from with only a few scrapes and bruises. The Lord is my strong tower.

I thought about the car crash my three daughters were in, and how my oldest had changed seats only shortly before the crash, moving out of the only seat in the car that was completely destroyed. The Lord is my strong tower.

I thought about how I have seen him heal one of my daughters from a challenge that was not only a devastatingly heavy weight for our family, but was something that seemingly had no potential path to healing. The Lord is my strong tower.

I thought about the times I have been slandered, accused, confronted, and even accused falsely to police for actions I never would have dreamed of taking while standing outside abortion clinics in Chicago while offering the hope of the gospel to women with unplanned pregnancies. The Lord is my strong tower.

I thought about the cost of losing old friends that I deeply loved for my commitment to preach the unadulterated Word of God. The Lord is my strong tower.

I thought about the simple cost of living in Chicago and having our home broken into, our car windows smashed in, arrests of criminals made on our front door steps, strangers harassing us for our multiracial family, and much more. The Lord is my strong tower.

I thought about the ways I have acted a fool, and let my inner extrovert cause me to speak before I think in such a way that made matters worse, rather than brought the healing words of Christ. The Lord is my strong tower.

This is only the start of my list. But, I want to ask you, as you read David’s description of God and all the ways he thinks and feels about God in those few verses above, do his thoughts on God sound like your own? Are you able to look back at your life and say that God has been your refuge, your strong tower, your rock? Do you find yourself at times pleading with God that you might dwell in his tent and enjoy all that he has to offer? Is there a genuine gratefulness that bubbles up inside of you when you think on Christ’s sacrifice for you?

May we experience Psalm 61 as reflect on God, our rock.