“Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”
Psalm 61:1-2
We all know what it feels like to have an overwhelmed heart. No matter what stage of life we are in, it seems like the responsibilities and the busyness never end. What is it that overwhelms you? Is it the interactions you have with others? Is it all the homework you have? The papers and assignments? Is it your coworkers who leave extra work for you to do? Maybe there isn’t one particular thing in your life that sticks out as overwhelming, yet your heart still feels weighed down at times. I have been there, too. At these times, we feel far from God. We feel like we are drowning in a sea of worry and chaos and that God has abandoned us. We feel the cares of this world pressing in on our hearts.
David knew what it was like to feel distant from God, just like we do at times. In Psalm 62 he is crying out to God and asking to be led to “the rock that is higher than I.” This rock is Jesus Christ, as stated earlier in Psalm 18:2a, where David writes, “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer.” Jesus Christ is strong and safe. He is as unchangeable and firm as a rock or fortress. He is higher than we are, knowing our hearts and knowing what is good for us.
“For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.”
Psalm 61:3-4
Where do we desire to go when we feel like we are at the ends of the earth? We desire to run to the shelter of Jesus Christ! We want to look up to Him, being assured of our salvation and that He is working everything for our good. We want Him to comfort our hearts so that we feel safe and loved rather than overwhelmed. The good news is that this is exactly what God does for His people. In sending His Holy Spirit into our hearts, we are led to see our weaknesses and our need for Christ. We then see what Christ has done for us on the cross and rest in the joy and peace of our salvation. Christ truly is our shelter and strong tower! We are safe in His wings no matter what we face each day.
This Saturday, I encourage you to meditate on Psalm 61 as you look forward to the Sabbath. Sure, the cares and worries of this work week may have your heart feeling a bit weary, but God knew what He was doing when He gave us a day of rest. Sunday is given to be a day full of spiritual renewal as we go to church and meditate on God’s Word. We look forward to enjoying a whole day set aside for not feeling overwhelmed. God hears our cries from the ends of the earth. He leads us out of the pit of an overwhelmed heart into the strong tower that is Jesus Christ our Lord.
Madelyn Monsma
Young Calvinists 