Psalm 61 – A Prayer : Returning to God’s Shelter

WORSHIP ARTICLE | Tim McPherson | Bountiful, Utah

Psalm 61 is a prayer we all need to pray. When do we say we need God the most? We need God in times of despair, in times of great sorrow or trouble, when we are possibly feeling distant or separated from God. Yes, many times in life we feel helpless. Who can we turn to? I turn to God. We so desperately express our need for a greater strength beyond mortal wisdom or human counsel. We look longingly for that time of Almighty God’s care. The enemy is trying to tug us away from God. Although the enemy seems to have pulled us away and we may feel in despair, we truly can draw nearer to God.

Many experts feel that with all the circumstances alluded to in the psalm that it was composed by David when he was driven into exile during the rebellion of Absalom while he was still beyond the Jordan (2 Samuel 17:22) and when his life was yet in danger (Psalm 42:1-11 and Psalm 43:1-5). He was destitute, driven from the temple, from the land of Canaan, and greatly sought the shelter of God in his despair. The psalmist depicts himself in exile, he feels he is at “the end of the earth” (Psalm 61:2). This prayer utters the expressions of a persevering and longing expectancy to be closer to God and to have God’s strength in his life.

It is possible that circumstances, not sin nor things of our own doing, but unforetold events, have caused us a tremendous despair and brought a longing desire to cast our cares on Him. We seek His power and His might to make right what is wrong. We feel helpless, but we believe in the providence of God and His willingness to rescue our life. We want to wrap ourselves in the wings of God’s security (Psalm 61:4). The psalmist expresses this desire. We desire God because of the havocked nature of life and its trials. We feel the cliché saying, “I’m holding on by a thread.” As the famous hymn says, “Where do I go, oh where do I go, seeking a refuge for my soul?’’ This Psalm gives assurance to us that we have the greatest source of strength to overcome this despair. If your circumstances seem desperate, remember that God has been your friend in the past, has aided you, and has displayed His marvelous mercy and grace. And once again, even now, we lean forward into the loving arms of a protective God. God will always be there for you.

Some people have called this psalm a “A Prayer when Overwhelmed.” Indeed, it is! We could well say that David is experiencing what we all experience: exasperation, and utter frustration!  He is overwhelmed as Verse 2 expresses.

From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. (Psalm 61:2, NKJV)

He is seeking God’s SUPPORT! He states that he is looking for “The Rock That Is Higher Than I.”

We should have the support of others: godly parents, church members, and most of all your spouse. But we need greater help and assistance. This statement mentions something that helps beyond what man can do or offer. It is an expression of faith. You see, it is stating that when I cannot find shelter from here, I can find shelter from above. It is stating, “Lead me to a rock that is higher than I.”  Meaning, as Barnes states, “The idea is, that he had no strength in himself; that if he depended on himself, he could not be safe. He was, as it were, in a low vale, exposed to every enemy. He wished to be put in a place of safety. To such a place of safety – to Himself – he prayed that God would lead him. We need one much higher than we are to save us. A Saviour – a Redeemer – on the same level with ourselves could not help us. We must have one that is supreme over all things; one that is divine.”

Yes, indeed, other references could be given to that great Rock which saves our soul (Matthew 16:16-18, Matthew 7:24, Romans 9:33, 1 Corinthians 10:4, 1 Peter 2:8).

A songwriter, Erastus Johnson, used these words in Psalm 61 to write a marvelous hymn we sing. As I read a little about this man’s life, I could see he certainly felt the tremendous need for God in his own life.

Reading a quote on his life, “His health failed, and threatened with the loss of his sight, was compelled to give up preparation for the ministry. On the advice of his physician, he took a see voyage, embarking on the ship Gold Hunter en route from New York to California. The crew of the ship mutinied just before rounding Cape Horn and as Johnson was the only person on board who knew anything about navigation, other than the captive officers, he was pressed into service to take the ship on to its destination, San Francisco. This he was able to do successfully.” I can see him saying, “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I” as he took control to navigate a ship that had been abandoned. Not to mention his eye problems and health issues. Please allow me to include the lyrics which verbalize this great theme and which can be applied to our lives:

Vs.1-       O sometimes the shadows are deep,
And rough seems the path to the goal,
And sorrows, sometimes how they sweep
Like tempests down over the soul

Chorus: O then to the Rock let me fly
To the Rock that is higher than I
O then to the Rock let me fly
To the Rock that is higher than I!

Vs.2-      O sometimes how long seems the day,
And sometimes how weary my feet;
But toiling in life’s dusty way,
The Rock’s blessed shadow, how sweet!

Vs.3-     O near to the Rock let me keep
If blessings or sorrows prevail,
Or climbing the mountain way steep,
Or walking the shadowy vale.

Some say the Psalm can be divided into two parts of four verses each.

1. Prayer for support and restoration to God’s dwelling-place (Psalm 61:1-4).
2. He appeals to the experience of answered prayer and to the certainty of God’s promises to the king and looks forward with confidence to a life of thanksgiving for God’s mercy (Psalm 61:5-8).

I see in Verse 3 (below) an immediate reference to God’s prior help. He had the absolute knowledge of the great presence of God in times past which gave him perfect confidence for the future. “You have been” meant to David that He will again be a great shelter.

For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy. (Psalm 61:3, NKJV)

God has proven Himself to be there always. In the past God had often been David’s “Shelter” or “Refuge” (Psalm 18:2; Psalm 44:7; Psalm 44:11; Psalm 48:3). Throughout the Psalms we absolutely see God providing “a shelter in a time of storm” (Isaiah 4:6). Of course, this is with application to the Messianic age of Christ and the church. As one person stated, “This Psalm has affinities with Psalm 20, 21, 27, 42, 43, 63, and with Proverbs.” It has also been said that in later times Psalm 61 was naturally adopted as a prayer of the nation in its dispersion. Obviously, David was encouraged by many past experiences and past deliverances and AGAIN calls on God for further deliverance. Past experiences serve a great benefit for trusting God implicitly, completely, and utterly. They should always engage us to keep close to Him and encourage us to hope for new mercies in the time of stress. Therefore, David did not resort to anything else but the strong hand of God.

I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah (Psalm 61:4, NKJV)

Conclusion:  Let us use this beautiful Psalm to have full confidence and assurance that our prayer will be answered. Yes, our life will be assisted by God, and as the Psalm confidently states, “His life will be prolonged for many generations” (Psalm 61:6-7). As a result of this confidence, David expresses His gratitude to God and asserts that he will always follow God, forever!

So I will sing praise to Your name forever, That I may daily perform my vows. (Psalm 61:8, NKJV)

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October 2022 | GROW magazine