Psalm 61

Psalm 61 | New International Version:

Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer.

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.

For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.

I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.

For you, God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

Increase the days of the king’s life, his years for many generations.

May he be enthroned in God’s presence forever; appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.

Then I will ever sing in praise of your name and fulfill my vows day after day.

RAMP: READ / ANALYZE / MEDITATE / PRAY

R: Read the Passage

Read the passage fully from start to finish without taking any notes — just read!

You’re going to want to read this one again. And again. It’s short and can seem insignificant. It can also seem redundant. Your heart may even say things like “David, really?! Get a grip. What did you get yourself into now?!” And then you may feel a tinge of conviction — does God say that to me when I come back again and again to Him?

Nope. He didn’t say it to David and He never says it to you.

If your heart went in that direction, or any other critical or condescending direction, stop now and:

• Ask God to soften your heart, to forgive you of criticism and judgement

• Thank God for His unending patience with you. For His unending grace. For His constant pursuit after you. For His constant rescue.

David is the author of this Psalm and after reading it a few times, you’ll hear his desperation. This Psalm was written by David before Absalom began trying to kill him but shortly after the drama first began. You can get a glimpse into the story in 2 Samuel:13-15. Absalom’s half brother (David is the father, but they had different mothers) had assaulted Absalom’s full sister. David knew and did nothing. In his anger, Absalom kills the half brother and flees. When David allows Absalom back into Jerusalem, Absalom’s anger was focused on David and the chase began. This particular Psalm is believed to be written somewhere around the murder and Absalom fleeing, but before Absalom returned and begin his angry pursuit of David.

Side note — when you think your family is off-the-rails and somehow it disqualifies you for God’s work — think again. David, in all his mess, was “a man after God’s own heart.” God knows you, He gets you. And He will never stop pursuing you in love.

A: Analyze

Journal your response to these questions:

1. What does this say about God?

Are you beginning to see a trend in what scripture says about God? He is always: good, available, interested. He is always a rescuer.

2. What does this say about you?

At the end of your rope?

Feel like you are one step from the end of the earth?

Desperate?

3. Is there a command to follow?

Take a look at verse 8.

4. Is there a sin to repent of?

Maybe so. Allow the Holy Spirit to do its work in your heart through this passage.

5. Is there a promise to claim?

So many. So, so many.

M: Meditate

Are you in a situation where you’ve reached the end of your rope?

Is your heart faint or sick over your own mistakes?

Meditate on this progression of thought from our good friend, John Piper, which so perfectly aligns with David’s words in Psalm 61:

• Individual lament leads to desperation

• Which causes us to seek a greater dependence on God

• When we depend on Him, we catch a greater vision of His glory

• Which brings us deeper and greater joy.

P: Pray

These words from Charles Spurgeon’s commentary of this Psalm bring me to tears. Tears of the reality of how much it hurts when we are in the midst of trials, especially those of which we have had a hand in creating.

When my heart is overwhelmed, when the huge waves of trouble wash over me, and I am completely submerged, not only as to my head, but also my heart. It is hard to pray when the very heart is drowning, yet gracious men plead best at such times. Tribulation brings us to God, and brings God to us. Faith’s greatest triumphs are achieved in her heaviest trials.

If you are currently experiencing this heartache, the drowning of your heart, ask God to help you believe your faith will experience a triumph. Ask God to forgive you, bring clarity to situation, give you courage to do what’s needed, to keep you in His presence and to give you more time to praise Him.

Nicole’s Notes:

Psalm 61 is another Psalm of lament, specifically individual lament. You know the feeling, when the world is crashing around you and you know you had a part to play in the devastation. You’re heartsick. You don’t know how to fix it and everything you to do ‘help’ only makes it worse. Even the smallest offenses bring the weight of the world crashing down on your shoulders. There’s a bad feeling in the pit of your stomach, an ache in your heart and a desire for it to just all go away.

Psalm 61 was written from that exact place.

Let’s take a look at the structure of David’s plea. His thoughts are a little ‘all over the place,’ and understandably so.

1. David makes a plea for God’s attention.

2. David remembers promises of God’s protection

3. David makes a bold request

4. David renews, yet again, his commitment to a God-honoring life

From the ends of the earth — the end of his rope, the edge, the farthest place — David cries out to God. We’ve read David’s cries from the bottom of a pit. And now we hear them from the end of the earth.

No matter how far down you are or how far away you run, God hears your cries.

When you have reached the end, God hears your cries.

You cannot distance yourself so far from God that He cannot hear your cries for rescue.

David is tired, he’s at the end of his rope. His heart is faint. And he cries out for God to hear him, to listen, to come. He cries out on The Rock higher than his own. David is King at this point, he has a throne and a ‘high place’ of honor. And yet that place is not high enough. The Rock of God Almighty is his shelter, his refuge and the only place of safety.

As David pleas for God’s attention — for not the first nor last time — he displays incredible vulnerability. The throne of his kingship doesn’t compare to the security of The Rock. The shadows of The Rock are safer than the walls of a castle. The wings of God Almighty are safer than the inner chambers. The Kingdom of God is higher than any kingdom on earth.

David longs to be in the presence of God. This is a theme in his writing throughout Psalms, and it should be a theme for us as well. Think about verse 4 in light of the mess David is in. He has just cried out from the ends of the earth because of the situations around him, many of which are a result of his mistakes.

• Instead of running further, David wants to be closer to God.

• Instead of trying to survive on his own, punishing himself because he assumes God wants nothing to do with him, David wants to be closer to God.

• Each time David messes up, he goes to the same place — the presence of God.

How is David able to have hope in the presence of God and long for the shelter of His wings?

Because of the promise in the very next verse. He has confidence in God. He knows God has heard him. He knows where his inheritance lies — not in his own earthly kingdom, but in the Kingdom of God.

You are not a king, but you are a leader in some way. Have you built your earthly kingdom to be a place of refuge? Do you find security in:

• Your title

• Your position

• Your authority

• Your systems

• Your schedules

This level of vulnerability is hard for me. In my own efforts, I can build a pretty safe and secure ‘kingdom' where I reign supreme. I call the shots, I make the decisions and I run the show. Not for the attention, but for the efficiency. Not for the glory, but for the sake of a smooth operation. And as you can imagine, when I put my confidence in my own abilities, my ‘kingdom' begins to crumble and I see the weakness of its structure. If it’s built on me, it’s never going to withstand the trials.

At a high point in David’s reign, he knows this reality — his kingdom is nothing compared to The Kingdom of God. There is something higher — the Rock of Almighty God. And in light of that reality, David makes a bold request — for God to increase his life and impact — if only he can remain in the presence of God forever.

What bold requests are you making to God? Don’t ever be afraid to ask God for something that seems too big or even too self focused. Verse 8 gives us a great framework to check our big requests against. How will you ‘ever sing’ His praises when He gives what you are asking for? Let’s say God grants your bold request. Would you be able to declare verse 8 back to God?

If God gave you the marriage you’ve been begging for — how will you worship in it and praise Him for it?

If God gave you the break in your businesses you’ve been asking for — how will you use your business to bring Him glory?

If God changed your financial situation in the way you have asked — how will you leverage your finances for the advancement of His kingdom?

If God answers your prayer for a promotion at work — how will your commitment to Him impact the eternity of your coworkers?

For David — from the ends of the earth — can say that he will ever sing the praises of His God with daily commitment.

Psalm 61 | The Message:

God, listen to me shout, bend an ear to my prayer.

When I’m far from anywhere, down to my last gasp,

I call out, “Guide me up High Rock Mountain!”

You’ve always given me breathing room, a place to get away from it all,

A lifetime pass to your safe-house, an open invitation as your guest.

You’ve always taken me seriously, God, made me welcome among those who know and love you.

Let the days of the king add up to years and years of good rule.

Set his throne in the full light of God; post Steady Love and Good Faith as lookouts,

And I’ll be the poet who sings your glory— and live what I sing every day.