One reason we read the psalms is to remind us that we are still living in the wilderness. This biblical metaphor reveals that we are far from home with a desperate longing to return. We have been “sojourners and exiles” ever since the Fall (1 Pet 2:11). So, whenever we face personal suffering, it is helpful to reflect: “What are the details of my present wilderness? In what specific ways do I hurt?”
The psalms invite us to process our suffering and to cry out honestly to the Lord. They counsel us with colorful language about life’s many hardships. For in the psalms, David’s fears and concerns teach us how to grapple with our own. We learn to name our troubles, and also how to trust the name of God. For the psalms assure us that our Creator is not distant or distracted or ambivalent to our pain. In truth, God sees us and knows how we are impacted by the brokenness both in us and around us. He longs to hear us call out to him in prayer like little children (Matt 7:7-11).
Cry Out to God in Prayer (vv. 1-4)
In Psalm 61, David rests his hope upon God’s holy character—his eternal promises and comforting presence. He petitions, “Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint” (vv. 1-2a).[1] This wailing lament is a shout from the top of his lungs, for David faces imminent danger. It might describe the time when David’s son, Absalom, seeks to steal the throne (2 Sam 15-18). David is exiled from the city of Jerusalem—from his palace and his people. Yet “the end of the earth” can also be a spiritual metaphor as the psalmist feels distant from God. His heart is faint, discouraged, and weary from the dangers all around him. He is exhausted by life’s pressures, brought low by the sorrows of sin, and emptied out to the point of death. He simply wants to quit. So, if you yourself are faint of heart, David has written this psalm for you.
Rock
David grounds his cry for help in powerful word pictures which convey his confidence in God. First, he prays, “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (61:2a). In the wilderness, a rock is a place of safety—out of reach from the dangers below. But more than just a physical rock, David seeks the Lord to be his Rock (see 18:2; 73:26). For David might be the king, yet God is the Rock who stands higher than him. As the Scriptures progress, we discover this Rock to be Christ himself—the Son of God (1 Cor 10:4; 1 Pet 2:6). He keeps us safe beyond the enemy’s reach, yet none of us can reach him by ourselves. We must be led by God’s Holy Spirit who awakens our soul, alerts us to our need, and secures our commitment to Christ. So, we pray from the midst of our wilderness: Lead us to Christ, our Rock and our Redeemer.
Refuge
David then continues, “For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings!” (Ps 61:3-4). God has been his refuge in the past, so God will be his refuge once again. David’s present prayer is based on God’s past faithfulness (46:1). We later discover this Refuge to be Christ himself (Heb 6:18-20). For Christ would brave the storm on our behalf and grant us access to the Father. Christ is the sure and steadfast Anchor of our soul who offers hope.
Strong Tower
The Lord also stands as our “strong tower against the enemy.” For if the enemy breaches the walls of an ancient city, the people run to the tallest tower for a final stand. The door is shut and barred tight. Slits in the tower allow them to shoot down arrows on the enemy. The tower provides both protection and companionship. So, in this way, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe” (Prov 18:10). The name of our covenant-keeping God is Yahweh Shalom, “the Lord is Peace” and Yahweh Tsidkenu, “The Lord is our Righteousness” (Judg 6:24; Jer 23:5-6). He is El Shaddai, “God Almighty,” and Immanuel, “God with us” (Gen 17:1; Matt 1:23). His name is Jesus, for he has saved his people from their sins (Matt 1:21). So, when we are in trouble, let us run to God, name his names, and remember his holy character. For he is our Strong Tower who always keeps us safe.
Dwelling Place
David then pictures himself dwelling in God’s tent—the tabernacle of Israel, ornately designed with royal decorations for God’s people to meet with God (Exod 25:1-9). At this time, the tabernacle resides in Jerusalem. Yet David has been exiled from the city away from this place of worship. He longs to return once more and envisions the day when he will worship God for all eternity. Even more remarkably, though, the tabernacle foreshadows the coming Messiah—David’s Greater Son. For when Jesus comes as a man, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). At his incarnation, God’s Son tabernacles with his people and ushers us into his Father’s glory. In Christ Jesus, we encounter both grace and truth with the promise that we shall dwell with him forever (Rev 21:3-4).
Shelter
Lastly, David imagines God as a mother hen providing shelter for her chicks (Pss 36:7; 91:4). Beneath her mighty wings, they are protected from the wind and rain. She keeps them warm as they nestle beside her beating heart and she willingly bears the discomfort and danger of the elements. Such is the instinct of a mother bird and such is the nature of our God. Jesus himself would use this metaphor to describe his love for Israel, promising salvation to any who could testify, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (Matt 23:37-39).
Commit to Trust God Fully (vv. 5-8)
In Psalm 61, David uses such vivid word pictures to declare his faith in God. So, we cling to these same truths as we seek deliverance from our enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil. Christ is our Refuge from the dangers of life and the Strong Tower to whom we run when others threaten to destroy us. He is the fulfillment of the Tabernacle through whom we dwell with God, our Shelter beneath his mighty wings, and the Higher Rock who keeps us safe. There’s nothing wrong, of course, with taking earthly precautions (e.g., locking our doors or installing alarm systems), but we must never place more confidence in man than in the God who ultimately protects us.
Though David feels exiled to the end of the earth, he vows to keep on praising God (61:5). For as the covenant king of Israel, he represents his people as those who fear God’s name. His safety ensures their safety. And their heritage is the land—the territory God has promised them (Ps 136:21-22). Ultimately, this heritage points to Christ, David’s Greater Son (2:7-8). For the nations belong to Christ and the whole world is his inheritance. All things are placed under his authority, which he shares with “all those who are sanctified” in him (Acts 20:32; see Eph 1:20-22). As believers, God “has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Eph 1:3), for we are “heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ” (Rom 8:16-17a). David trusts God with these precious truths, and so do we.
The psalmist then continues, “Prolong the life of the king; may his years endure to all generations! May he be enthroned forever before God; appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!” (Ps 61:6-7). It would have been much simpler for David to say, “Prolong my life. May my years endure.” Yet David speaks in the third person to emphasize his role as “king.” The covenant language of “steadfast love and faithfulness” recalls God’s promise to David in 2 Samuel 7:12-13, “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” In the Davidic Covenant, God had promised an eternal King who would reign on David’s throne forever. So, David prays back these promises which God had made to him of a legacy that would “endure to all generations!” (Ps 61:6). David’s Seed would be established for all eternity and “enthroned forever before God” (v. 7). Then, “steadfast love and faithfulness” would protect God’s chosen King even in the wilderness (57:3; Prov 20:28).
As David recalls these promised blessings to the king of Israel, he points us forward to his Greater Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (Rev 22:16). For David’s life would not endure beyond his generation and he would lie down with his fathers at his burial. Instead, David’s offspring would be the One to sit upon his throne forever—Another King would reign for all eternity. Thus, the psalm concludes: “So will I ever sing praises to your name, as I perform my vows day after day” (Ps 61:8). David commits to trusting God, day-after-day, for the remainder of his life. As at a wedding, he speaks his vows in the ceremony, then renews them every day in practice. Likewise, in worship, we sing our vows with songs of praise. Yet marriage to Christ is more than just what happens on Sundays, but also from Monday to Saturday. So, do we perform our vows day-after-day? Do we commit our lives continuously to God? It would not go well if we said to our spouse, “I already told you that I loved you once—at the wedding. Do I really need to say it again? Do I actually have to show you daily how I love you?” Worship, like marriage, is an everyday commitment. So, we cry out to God in humble, dependent prayer when we’re troubled in the wilderness. We claim him as our Shelter when we’re battered by the storm. We trust him as our Rock and Refuge—our Strong Tower and our Dwelling Place. Then, as we commit our trust to God, we praise Christ as our Precious Savior.
Life Application Study:
- How does each word picture in Psalm 61 draw out God’s character?
- God is my Rock (v. 2; see Ps 18)
- God is my Refuge (vv. 3, 4; see Ps 46:1)
- God is my Strong Tower (v. 3; see Prov 18:10)
- God is my Dwelling Place (v. 4; see John 1:14)
- God is my Shelter in the storm (v. 4; see Ps 36:7)
- What promises did David claim for himself, for Israel, and for the Messiah (see 2 Sam 7:12-13; Ps 2)?
- Describe in detail your own wilderness experience. What specific troubles make your heart faint or your soul weary? In what areas do you need encouragement (Ps 73:26)?
- Do you worship Christ every day or just on Sundays? Do you still love and trust him just as much today as when he first saved you (Rom 6:1-14)?
- Reflect on the hymn, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”
Pray Psalm 61:
- O God, you are my Rock and my Refuge—my Strong Tower when my heart grows faint (vv. 1-3).
- I long to worship you for all eternity and sing praises to your name forever (vv. 4-5, 8).
- May Christ be enthroned as King for every generation (vv. 6-7).
[1] Psalm 61 is divided into two equal stanzas of four verses each. The selah in verse 4 compels us to pause, reflect, and think about what we’ve just read.
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