Psalm 61:1-5 English Standard Version
Lead Me to the Rock
1 Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer;
2 from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I,
3 for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.
4 Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah
5 For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
I was searching the scriptures for a followup article that might be appropriate after yesterday’s post on Differential Fear. So, here we are.
This is what happens when we get ahead of the Lord and take the lead, we have stopped following. Verse 3 implies we are no longer in His refuge, His safe place.
If we were to ask modern soldiers what is the most dangerous position while out on patrol you might get a different answer than a soldier with experience in the jungles of Vietnam. One might think it should be the same, being on point. The first to encounter an IED is dangerous but it is not what I feared most.
In the dense jungle it is difficult to see into the jungle and the path forward is limited. This leaves the main troops in danger of ambush where the point man has already passed. Someone in an attempt to avoid those ambushes decided to put out flank guards to the left and right of the trail.
A flank guard is all alone with no support and cannot see the trail. He has no idea where to go and in the dense jungle is in danger of wandering off course or coming up on the ambush and has the suicidal job of letting the main body know where the ambush is set.
Which is worse, to get lost or to engage the enemy alone?
It is not good for us to take the lead or to wander off alone.
If at this point some want to point out that apostle means “one sent”. I would like to remind them that Paul was never alone and always led by the Holy Spirit.
Acts 16:6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.