Psalm 61:2 (New King James Version) “From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

Several summers ago our family celebrated my sister’s wedding in Ouray, Colorado, professed to be (by its residents) as the “Switzerland of America”. A perfectly fitting name for this picturesque little town set at the narrow head of a valley, enclosed on three and a half sides by steep mountains. The ceremony was awesome, situated by a lake alongside the Million Dollar Highway, breathtaking. But nothing compares to the view we had from atop the Imogene Pass, the second highest vehicular mountain crossing in Colorado, just over 13,000 feet, connecting Ouray and the prestigious town of Telluride. Absolutely astounding! If you’re the 4-wheelin’ type, it’s a must see!

Contrariwise, when our heart is overwhelmed, the “view” from where we stand is at eye level, clouded by what we see in front of us - challenging circumstances that are staring us in the face, feelings and emotions that seem unbearable, fear that’s trying to paint a picture of hopelessness. What we need is a new perspective, God’s perspective.

Having spent most of his young life on the mountainside, David knew the view from the top was always clearer than from the bottom. When our hearts are overwhelmed, we would be wise to cry out to God as David did, “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I”. In other words, “Lord, help me to see what You see, show me the big picture, help me see what I’m missing here”.

Sometimes we get so caught up in the midst of a trying situation, that we forget that His wisdom, His direction is “higher than I”. We get so consumed by the problem, we lose sight of the fact that He has the answer we need. He is our very present help in the time of trouble (Psalm 46:1). He is everything we need. When we have a big work load or project ahead of us, He wants us to come to Him for supernatural wisdom, beyond our years and abilities. When we’ve lost a loved one or find ourselves “single again” and we can’t see past the pain, He gives us hope for a bright future. No matter what it is, great or small, when our heart feels overwhelmed, our first response must be to stop and simply say to the Lord, “Lead me to rock that is higher than I”.

And when we do…oh what a view!