Variety: Psalm 61

Read Psalm 61, NIV

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 for ever
    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 for ever;
    appoint your love and faithfulness to protect him.

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

Reflect

‘From the ends of the earth I call to you. I call as my heart grows faint.’ Grief can make us feel at a distance from our normal life – cut off from other people, from God, even from ourselves as we used to be, before we suffered loss. From the ends of the earth – a very lonely, wide open place – we call, and hear only a faint echo of our own voice.

The first place the psalmist David looks to for rescue is ‘the rock that is higher than I’, the ‘strong tower against the foe’. To be protected by those impenetrable walls will be a blessed relief.

The high rock with its strong tower is a safe place, to be sure. But to me, it doesn’t sound much like a place of comfort for a faint heart. It’s hard, grey, rather cold and unyielding. When I’m feeling small and low, a high tower is a great place to hide, but it’s still a bit lonely. 

David knows this place of old: he says, ‘You have been my strong tower.’ But in the next verse he tells us about a deeper security that he longs for, even from his rocky refuge. From the tower on the rock he looks forward to dwelling in God’s tent, the familiar home of a nomad, and then in the shelter of God’s wings – a picture of a bird covering her young in the warmth of her feathered body. These are far more intimate places of shelter.

When we’re grieving, we can thank God for the shelter of a rocky tower, but we can also tell him of our longing to come home from the ends of the earth, to shelter in his tent and even under his wings.

Respond

Are there areas of your life where you’re feeling cut off and distant because of pain and disappointment? Think of some practical ways you can pursue intimacy with God and with family and friends this Lent. This might be as simple as taking a walk to pray or inviting someone over for a meal.