So, Google Maps has pretty much revolutionized life for many of us. Want to know where a city is located? Google Map it (hey, it’s a verb!). Wanna know how to get there and what alternative routes are available? Google Map it. Want to know how long it will take to drive somewhere? Google Map it. Ok, so all those things were kind of available before Google Maps. It was a bit more work of course. You had to actually go buy a map. But once you had it you could use the index to find a city . . . you could trace the alternative routes to a place . . . there was even numbers between major segments to give you an idea of how far you had to drive, so you could estimate the time of travel. But do you want to know what the best part of Google Maps is? You don’t have to try and fold it back up again! I hated that with those maps! They looked really nice and compact in the stand . . . but that’s cause they were folded a million times. Once I opened up one of those things, it was the most frustrating thing to try and get it all folded back the way it was. Never once had a problem putting away Google Maps . . . it’s my friend . . . faithfully showing me the way to the place I want to go. But it has it’s limitations . . .

I’m reading Psalm 61 this morning. It starts like a lot of the Psalms . . . with a tone of desperation . . . “Hear my cry, O God, attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You when my heart is overwhelmed . . .” Prayer . . . it’s what you do when you don’t know what to do . . . it’s where you go when you don’t know where to go. Prayer was quite literally David’s lifeline. When his heart was overwhelmed . . . when it was faint . . . when it was down to its last gasp . . . David used that gasp to cry out to the God of heaven. And David was never worried about whether or not he “had enough bars”. He could cry out to God from the end of the earth assured that the “signal” was strong enough to reach heaven’s portal. And what really grabbed me this morning . . . and what kind of sparked the Google Maps thing . . . is what David prayed . . .

“Lead me to the rock that is higher than I” — Psalm 61:2b

No Google Mapping that ( ??? Googling Map that ??? ). That’s a destination only known by the God who hears the cries of our heart. He knows the way . . . and He knows how to lead us there. Through the internal GPS of the Holy Spirit there is a trip available for the child of God from the overwhelming challenges of the day to the peace that passes all understanding (Php. 4:7). Ours is to cry out. His is to lead us to the rock that his higher than I.

The rock is a fortress and a place of refuge. It is protection and it is a seat of strength. It weathers the storm and provides stability when everything else seems so shaky. And it’s not so much, “Where is the rock?” . . . as it is, “Who is the rock?” “I will love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold” (Ps. 18:1-2). “For You are my rock and my fortress; Therefore, for Your name’s sake, Lead me and guide me” (Ps. 31:3). Our God is our rock . . . and the way into His presence, into the Holy of Holies has been secured by Christ . . . and “transport” has been given through the Holy Spirit . . . and so ours, in those times of desperation and difficulty finding our way, is to cry out, “Lead me O God to the rock . . . Lead me, Lord, to Yourself . . . Let me know again the reality of Your presence . . . and the assurance of Your care and protection.”

The rock is “higher than I.” It is a place and refuge that transcends the horizontal plain that so often blocks out the heavenly. This place is not known by the 5 senses but is accessed through faith. To go to the rock is to be lifted up in soul and spirit. It is the place where the Spirit of God interacts with our Spirit and reminds us that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1). And this high place if so accessible . . . the blood of Jesus having made it available 24/7 . . . the intercessory work of Jesus at God’s right hand making it a place of security and strength. Mine is to believe that the rock exists . . . that refuge is available . . . and to cry out to God asking Him to lead me there.

“O what peace we often forfeit; O what needless pain we bear; All because we do not carry; Everything to God in prayer!”

Father, I am thankful for a web app that allows me to so easily find my way to those places I want to go. But God, I will sing praise to Your name forever (Ps. 61:8) that You have made known the way to the Rock that is higher than I . . . that the directions are clear . . . that the journey is doable . . . and that the destination is sure. To You be all glory . . . amen.