Lead me to the Rock

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

This line from the Psalm spoke to me at a critical moment in my ministry, when

I was in my forties.

I was younger then—full of energy, ideas, and optimism. The parish I was

pastoring felt alive with possibility. I was also deeply involved in the early, exciting

work of Alpha, which was beginning to make a real impact in Singapore and the

surrounding region.

I felt, perhaps without realising it, that I was at the centre of things—at the prime

of my life. In such seasons, it is easy to be carried by self-confidence and self-

reliance. One begins to believe that progress happens because of one’s vision,

effort, and drive. That if things are moving, it must be because we are pushing

hard enough.

Then this line from the Psalm fell on me like a weight.

It brought me back to reality. A human being has severe limitations. Storms can

rise suddenly, and even the strongest swimmer cannot stay afloat forever. We

may think we are steady ground for others, but often we are no more than small

pebbles—easily shifted, easily overwhelmed.

If we ourselves are so vulnerable, what kind of stability can we truly offer to

others?

And so the Psalmist’s prayer became my own: “Lead me to the rock that is higher

than I.”

I realised then that I needed to stand on something greater than my gifts, my

energy, or my sense of calling. I needed an anchor that was not myself. I needed

the Lord. It was a quiet but firm reminder of humility, brokenness, and complete

reliance on God.

More than twenty years have passed since then.

This line still speaks to me—but now in a different way. I am no longer filled with

youthful confidence. There are days when I feel my age. Self-doubt sometimes

creeps in. Resources feel fewer. I wonder where the creative spark and energy

will come from for the parish that still needs shepherding.

Once again, the prayer rises: “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

This time, it is not pride that needs correcting, but weariness that needs

sustaining. And yet the truth remains the same. Whether in the strength of youth

or the limitations of age, a human being cannot live or serve without standing on

the Rock that is higher than himself.

If we needed that Rock at the height of our confidence, how much more when

our strength feels diminished.

It is, and will remain, a lifelong lesson: to find our strength, our security, and our

hope not in ourselves, but in the One who is "higher than I."