Stepping Onto Higher Ground

Text: Psalm 61:2 | Habakkuk 3:19 | Sermon by Faith Revival Center Church of EdmontonPodcast Description:As floods rise, you hear one desperate cry on the news: “Run to higher ground!” As earthquakes shake Venezuela and Colombia, the cry is the same: “Run to the safety place!” And in every crisis, one name escapes every mouth: “Oh my God, Oh my God!”But what if God wants to take you higher before the flood comes?This powerful message from Psalm 61:2 — “When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I” — is a call to step out of ordinary, low-level living and into the higher dimension God has for you.1. WHAT IS HIGHER GROUND? Higher ground means to gain in worth, stature, and height. To have your coast enlarged. To have your status changed for the better. Anyone who ascends to higher ground rises above regular living to become “extraordinary.” 1 Samuel 17:50 — David on higher ground over Goliath. 1 Kings 5:4 — Solomon on higher ground: “The LORD hath given me rest on every side.”2. THE PICTURE OF HIGHER GROUND: THE TABERNACLE Think of Israel in the wilderness: The Tabernacle dwelling in the midst of the 12 tribes. Set apart. Elevated. Holy. Three parts: Outer Court, Holy Place, Holy of Holies. Picture the High Priest carrying blood and incense in Leviticus 16:13 into the presence of God. Higher ground is not just a place of safety — it’s a place of God’s presence.3. THERE IS A HIGHER DIMENSION IN GOD There is more than where you are right now: A higher dimension of His grace, A higher dimension of His favor, A higher dimension of His power, A higher dimension of His glory, A higher dimension of His blessings, and A higher dimension of His purity and perfection. Psalm 42:1-5 — “As the hart panteth after the water brooks…” Illustration: The story of Genelle Gusman-McMillan — the last survivor pulled from the 9/11 rubble after 27 hours. When everything collapses around you, God still has higher ground. 4. HOW TO CLIMB: YOU NEED DOGGED FAITH AND PATIENCE You don’t stumble onto higher ground. You climb to it. Hebrews 10:36 — “Ye have need of patience.” 2 Peter 3:8-9 — God is never late. What you need is dogged faith: a stubborn, unyielding trust that refuses to give up, even when heaven seems silent. Look at the woman with the issue of blood and the centurion in Matthew 8:5-13 — both pressed through and stepped into higher ground because they wouldn’t quit.5. HIGHER GROUND OFTEN COMES THROUGH THE WILDERNESS God’s Training School for higher ground may not be pleasant, but the results are always perfect. Character is earned in the process. Before the height, there is the wilderness. Before the crown, there is the crushing.Psalm 61:2 — “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” Habakkuk 3:19 — “The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.”Final Challenge: God isn’t calling you to stay in the flood plain. He’s calling you higher — higher in faith, higher in holiness, higher in purpose.Are you ready to step up?#HigherGround #Psalm61 #Habakkuk319 #FaithRevivalEdmonton #SteppingUp