Worship Without WallsSample

Running to the Rock

Wrong thoughts or actions, mistakes from the previous night, or a quarrel or disagreement with a loved one can trigger a chain reaction that can mess up your day even before it begins. If not addressed, these feelings can create a sense of desperation about the day, resulting in a desire to be alone and separate from everyone, including God. These feelings are a quick reminder that a weary heart can leave us discouraged, distressed and depressed.

King David said in Psalm 61:2, "From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I." David is distressed, and the pressures of life wear him out; however, in his pain, David prays for a closer connection with God. David somehow can see through the struggle that his weaknesses, and emotional distress at the moment, will subside in the presence of the rock.

God, as our rock, is the stabilizing force for us in times of distress. It’s not just that David worshiped God through his prayers; David also chose to allow God to influence him to draw closer to Him, an approach opposite to our earlier assertions. In Psalm 42:6, David pushes his mind to acknowledge and remember God’s strength and divine power to save His children from trouble. It’s an evident expression from someone with immense trust in the abilities of God.

Sometimes, these truths get lost in our guilt and apprehension when we feel helpless; it’s lost in the sense of hopelessness we feel when we sense the walls of pressure crashing in. However, worship helps us follow and pursue God as we remember who God is and how safe we are in His presence. Worshipping God produces a liberating sense of power, and running back to the source of strength increases our understanding of assurance that we are not alone.

The tears we cry are the joys of God's wink. Essentially, what makes you shed tears today before God is a flash; I am not trying to simplify the struggle or distress but to remind us that our God is more significant than any disappointment and can provide that safe space for you to heal.

Take some time now (Maybe 5 mins) as you read this to remember how God supplied stability for you in the previous year and even now, and if you are thinking of running away, run back in worship into the loving arms of the Rock that is higher than I.