Have you ever clamoured up a massive rock higher than you? It can be a gruelling, excruciatingly painful, sweaty experience, full of hardship. You can be pushed to your furthest physical capacity, to the point where you feel as if you just have to, 'let go', to give up. Why? Because you are shaking in the agony of the strain..."how can I ever be strong enough not to go plummeting to death?" you wonder...and yet our Lord is our safety net or the safety rope that keeps us anchored and ensures that if we fall, we will not be smashed on the ground below. As one clamours up a gruelling challenging rock you wonder...."How can I overcome such weakness? How could I ever have thought of myself as fit and healthy and full of strength before this?" There is a realistic realisation of how pathetically weak we are; of our utter dependence on God for our safety and ability to carry on. There is a deep desire to 'give up' to go backwards, and yet going backwards is always harder than going forwards.
And yet when we reach the top there is a euphoric exhilaration....the exhilaration of a job finally 'well done'. There is a feeling that all the enduring hardship being a worthwhile the effort; an immense feeling of freedom, freedom from pain, freedom from the burden of hardship of getting there. It is a time to exult in the beautiful reward as you drink in the 360 degree view, the splendid beauty we behold. Our focus shifts from gripping and staring at the rock face in front of you, to the splendid view around and about - our look becomes outward.
If God leads us and we let Him lead us up the rock 'higher than I', there will be no going backwards because we took the wrong path; no retracing of our steps, no going backwards to go forwards, no unnecessary pain. There is joy and peace in his gentle leading, no matter how hard the gruelling uphill clamour.
And yet when we reach the top there is a euphoric exhilaration....the exhilaration of a job finally 'well done'. There is a feeling that all the enduring hardship being a worthwhile the effort; an immense feeling of freedom, freedom from pain, freedom from the burden of hardship of getting there. It is a time to exult in the beautiful reward as you drink in the 360 degree view, the splendid beauty we behold. Our focus shifts from gripping and staring at the rock face in front of you, to the splendid view around and about - our look becomes outward.
If God leads us and we let Him lead us up the rock 'higher than I', there will be no going backwards because we took the wrong path; no retracing of our steps, no going backwards to go forwards, no unnecessary pain. There is joy and peace in his gentle leading, no matter how hard the gruelling uphill clamour.
Psalm 18: 35 You have given me the shield of your salvation,
and your right hand supported me,
and your gentleness made me great.
36 You gave a wide place for my steps under me,
and my feet did not slip.
Do you realise too that our Lord himself is our Rock of Ages, our fortress, our place of safety!
Isaiah 26:3
You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
4 Trust in the Lord forever,
for
the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
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