Overwhelmed, But Never Overlooked.

“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.” – Psalm 61:2 NLT

David is under tremendous pressure. He is feeling completely overwhelmed by his circumstances. The Hebrew word he uses to describe the condition of his heart means, “to be wrapped in darkness, to languish, to faint.” He is in a dark moment of the soul, a time when all looks hopeless and he is feeling helpless. But what does he do at that moment? Does he give up? No, he looks up. He calls out. He cries out to God. “O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer!” (Psalm 60:1 NLT). He takes the darkness of his situation to the one true source that can shed some light on his condition. He longs for safety and security – a place where his enemies can’t reach him and he can enjoy peace from all the turmoil. David knew that his only hope was to be found in God. Keep in mind, this man was a highly successful warrior, a powerful king, and a man who was not afraid to strap on the sword and fight his way out of difficult circumstances. But in this case, he knew that God was his only hope. As he has done so many times before in other Psalms, David appeals to God’s unfailing love and faithfulness. He asks God to extend his life and prolong his kingdom, so that he can continue to praise and serve Him. David doesn’t just want long life in order to enjoy all the things that life has to offer. He wants to be able to continue his life of service to God, keeping his vows and praising Him for all that He has done.

But the truth is, we often beg God to save us in order that we might continue a life that is focused on US, not Him. We long for God to rescue us from our difficult circumstances, not so that we might serve Him more, but just so that we might enjoy life on our own terms. Whatever the circumstances were in David’s life, he more than likely was not able to worship in the Tabernacle. He was not able to offer sacrifices to God. He was isolated from the presence of God’s glory that dwelt in the inner recesses of the Tabernacle. He longed to return home and worship God. He wanted to see his life preserved, so that He might praise God more. What is your motivation for calling on God? Why do you want Him to save you? Is it in order that You might see His power on display and so that you might worship Him? Or is it simply so that you might get back to enjoying life and escaping the inconvenient circumstances in which you find yourself? David’s focus was on God. Yes, he wanted God to rescue and preserve him, but only so that he might spend his life serving and praising God.

Father, how often I beg You to save me when my only motivation is to get back to life as usual. My focus is not on You, but me. I simply want to enjoy life, not Your presence. Give me a new perspective. Give me a heart like David’s that desires long life so that I might have more time to serve and praise You. Amen

Ken Miller
Grow Pastor & Minister to Men
kenm@christchapelbc.org