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Add many years to the life of the king! May his years span the generations! Psalms 61:6
Ever notice how things become outdated? Some of us ‘more mature’ people remember telephones that hung on the wall and only went about six feet away. Times change. People change. Culture changes. Even language changes.
Stability comes in those things that remain the same. It’s not often we’ll find something that is just as useful now as it was 20 years ago. Much of what we have now will be obsolete soon! What can we rest on? What can we count on being just as useful twenty years from now as it is today?
In Psalm 61:6 David talks about legacy. He talks about those things that last. Most ancient manuscripts refer to the ‘King’ in this verse as having a Messianic meaning. The King that spans generations. The king that will relate to life now and in the future.
The king that will always be with us, is Jesus Christ. He weathers every storm. He stays stable in every change. You can count on him to meet your needs today and tomorrow, just as he has in the past.
For you have heard my vows, O God. You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name. Psalms 61:5
Ever made a promise to God only to fail to keep it? Afterwards you may struggle with guilt and shame. You may wonder if this Christian life is really worth it because your prayers don’t seem to do any good and try as you might to be better you still lose your temper, say words you regret, and have thoughts and attitudes you can’t seem to get rid of?
David writes about his struggles with knowing for sure that God hears him. While he attests to God’s protection and security, he knows he is unable to uphold any part of a bargain he may have made with God. Still, he knows God’s love goes beyond his ability to deserve it.
As he continues his prayer before God, he writes, “For you have heard my vows, O God. You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name.” (Psalms 61:5) He asks God to remember the vows he made, even though he knows he’s broken those vows many times.
He thanks God for the inheritance reserved for him because even in his failures, he reveres God. He knows his value isn’t dependent on his vows but on His God.
Don’t let your failures in life keep you from remembering your inheritance! Through Jesus your salvation is secure.
Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings! Psalms 61:4
It was one of the worst rainstorms I had ever driven through. It soon became impossible to see the lines on the interstate as I crept along at 30 MPH. Soon I came to an overpass and thought I would take shelter there, but there was no room as other cars had done the same. I continued on for three more overpasses before I found a spot to take shelter and wait for the storm to let up. Underneath that overpass I was able to rest my body and soul as the storm raged around me.
We aren’t sure what situation David found himself in when he wrote Psalm 61, but we can tell he was in anguish and, perhaps, great danger. The Hebrew word for the phrase ‘Let me dwell’ infers a place where we can step out of the turmoil of the world to find shelter and safety, a sanctuary, if you will, where the enemy can’t reach us.
Physically speaking, we may not be able to step away from the storms in life. We will get thrown under the bus by those who have higher expectations than we can deliver. We’ll be maligned by those who want to bind us with ropes of legalism. We’ll move on in life without being appreciated.
Relationships will dissappoint. Finances will fail. Our bodies will grow old and frail, But Jesus offers us a shelter we can take with us through every storm we face. We can feel safe beneath the protection of his wings.
For you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. Psalms 61:3
The most dangerous enemies are the ones we can’t see. You know the kind. The enemies of your soul. Sometimes those enemies are people who talk behind your back and have a hidden agenda to make sure you don’t succeed.
Perhaps you made mistakes they won’t forgive. It may be that you fail to meet their expectations and they are going to do everything in their power to make sure everyone knows how much of a failure you are.
The worst enemy of all, are the bruises you have from the emotional abuse their attacks bring. In those times when the unknown enemy lurks in the shadows it’s important for us to remember who we are and whose we are!
As believers in Jesus our identity isn’t dependent on the actions or thoughts of others. As believers of Jesus we are owned by the king of the universe, Jehovah God. When I’m hurt by the actions of others, I can rest in the promise that God is my protection.
He has protected my soul in the past and I can know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that he will continue to protect me. In Him I find safety. In Him I find rest. In Him I am secure in who I am.
From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, Psalms 61:2
One of our favorite places on earth is a small campground in Northern MN. Just miles from the Canadian border it seems totally isolated from the rest of the world. To get cellphone signal requires a 20 minute drive. Groceries? 45 minutes.
The saying, ‘it’s not the end of the world but you can see if from there’ is close to reality! You are totally isolated. Totally alone.
Have you ever felt like that in prayer? Oh, to be sure you know, theologically speaking, God is right beside you. You know theologically speaking, His Holy Spirit indwells you.
But again, theologically and practicality sometimes seem miles apart. In Psalm 61:2 David feels totally alone. Whether he is miles from ‘home’ physically or spiritually is up for conjecture. But emotionally speaking? That’s another story. He’s alone.
He seems surrounded by wilderness (insert wild animals, feeling lost, feeling completely helpless). But even in this hard time he has hope. In the distance he sees a rock, an outcropping high above his issues. Better yet, he knows that rock is his fortress, his place of safety, his place of salvation.
Maybe you are at the end of your earth right now. Maybe the answers to your marriage, your finances, the fear of tomorrow are more than you can bear. Maybe those around you seem removed from helping you sort things out. Look to the rock. Seek His guidance through the wilderness. In Him is security and rest for your soul.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 