Psalm 61:1-4 "Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. (2) 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. (3) For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. (4) I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah."
After several Psalms speaking to God's wrath, the Psalmist now speaks of his
God-given faith. Even though things were not in the best of situations,
David was not going to turn to any other source for help. As I read these
verses, I think of my precious Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ as He hung upon
the cross, experiencing the wrath of the Father. He was enduring such
pain and humiliation because of my sin and my transgressions. Even as He
hung there, He cried out to the Father, "My God! My God! Why hast thou
forsaken me?" After He cried those words with a loud voice, He said
"Father, into thine hands I commend my Spirit."
I bring those two statements into today's devotion because even in His darkest
hour, Jesus was still placing all His confidence in the Father. Jesus still
spoke of Him as "MY God," even as the Father turned His face away
from Jesus. When everyone else had turned away and the Father had turned His
face, Jesus placed all His confidence in our Heavenly Father. I think of the
three Hebrew children who faced Nebuchadnezzar's fiery furnace. Even if they
were going to be cast into the furnace, they never wavered in their confidence
in the Lord God Almighty.
In today's passage of Scripture, David is expressing his confidence in the
Lord. He understood the Lord had brought Him this far. "Lord,
whatever is going on, wherever I am, I will call upon you. When life seems to
be getting the best of me, I will call upon you." I think of
the song, "Precious Lord, take my hand. Lead me on. Let me stand. I am
tired. I am weak. I am worn. Through the storm. Through the night. Lead me on
to the Light. Take my hand, precious Lord. Lead me on."
"I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of
thy wings. Selah."