Hear my cry, O God,
listen to my prayer;
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,
for you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the enemy.

Psalm 61:1-3 (ESV)

I have heard a tale told of a man who was caught in a great storm. The rains came and the city would soon be flooded. He prayed to God that he would be delivered from the destruction. After he had prayed, a neighbour offered to drive him away to safety. The man declined the offer. God was going to save him.

The rains continued to pour and the wind blew against his house. Soon, he had no choice but to take refuge on the roof of his home. Someone in a boat came along and offered him a ride. He declined. God was going to save him.

The storm continued and the man remained on the peak of his roof – the only part of his house yet to be covered by the waters. A helicopter came and lowered a ladder. The man refused to climb it. God was going to save him.

The storm pressed on and the man no longer had refuge on the roof. There was nowhere to go. The storm took his life. When he got to heaven, he railed at God asking why he hand’t been saved. God showed him the neighbour who had offered a ride. The man also saw the strangers in the boat as well as the Coast Guard in the helicopter.

“I sent help.” God said. “But you refused.”

How often are we like the man refusing help when it comes because we’re expecting something else? When we ask to be led to The Rock, the Rock may come in many different forms. Can we see it for what it is? After all, God’s ways are higher than our own. I can never expect to understand the grandeur of The Creator, but I can learn to keep my eyes open. When I pray and ask for help, I can look for the answer in ways I may not expect.

As a youth, David’s salvation from the giant came in the form of a stone, not in the king’s armour.

What does your strong tower look like? A simple stone? A neighbour reaching out?

Daily Bible reading: Psalm 59-61; Acts 28:16-31