When You Feel Overwhelmed

This is David crying out from a place of exhaustion and distance. He says, “From the end of the earth I cry out.” In other words, “Lord, I feel far from You, I feel stretched thin, I feel like life is pressing me from every side.” But even in that place, David doesn’t stay in despair — he makes a request: “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

That rock represents stability, safety, and strength. It’s a reminder that when life overwhelms us, God doesn’t just give us relief — He lifts us. Sometimes the breakthrough isn’t God removing the storm, but God raising you above it. The “rock that is higher” means His perspective is greater than yours, His strength is stronger than yours, and His ways are higher than yours.

This verse shows us the power of surrender. David didn’t say, “I’ll climb to the rock myself.” He said, “Lead me.” Sometimes we’re too weak to figure it out on our own, but God is faithful to guide us to the place of refuge.

I’ve carried more than I thought I could at times, and I’ve felt myself break under the pressure. I've taken on too many church responsibilities, accepted too many graphic design projects, was asked to be on one too many Zoom calls. But when I stopped trying to balance it all and asked God to lead me higher, He gave me peace and perspective I didn’t have before. God gave me a strategy that I never knew existed that allowed me to carry all I was assigned to without being overwhelmed. God didn't decrease the things on my plate, but he taught me how to hold the plate in a more effective and sustainable way.

Stop trying to stand on shaky ground when there's a Rock named Jesus higher and stronger than you. When your heart is overwhelmed, don't shut down -- cry out. Overwhelm doesn’t mean failure—it means you need to be lifted higher. Let God lift you above the chaos and give you His perspective.