Psalms 61

Psalms 61THEME: Cry and confidence of the godlyThe theme throughout this new cluster of psalms (61-68) is the cry and confidence of the godly. As you listen to the pleadings of the godly in these eight psalms, you will find beautifully described their steadfast confidence in the Lord. You will also see the Lord Jesus Christ in these psalms, as well as derive great help for yourself. Psalms 61 is “To the chief Musician upon Neginah, A Psalm of David.” This is a psalm that you can play with a stringed instrument and would be appropriate for a guitar, because of the mournful undertone. It is a prayer from David’s heart. This makes it different from the modern prayers we so often hear, which make our prayer meetings so stereotyped.

All many of us do is turn in to the Lord a grocery list of the things we want. We ask Him to take them down off the shelf and give them to us so we won’t have to go through the checkout stand and pay for them. I think that attitude has killed prayer today. I believe in the organization, the mechanics, and the arrangement of prayer, but I also believe prayer should come from the heart. You seldom hear that deep heart cry in prayer any more, but you will find it in David’s prayer.

Psalms 61:1

David says, “From the end of the earth will I call upon thee.” When you pray, have you ever felt that God is way up in the heavens and you are way down here? David feels that he is at the end of the earth and God is way off yonder. He is trying to get closer. He wants to get to a Rock that is higher than he is. The reason I am opposed to this modern viewpoint of Jesus is because the Jesus who is presented is not a superstar at all. He is just a man like I am. He is a rock that is no higher than I am. I need to be led to the Rock that is higher than I. The Word of God tells me that that Rock is Jesus Christ (1Co_10:4), and He is a lot higher than I am! What a picture we have here of the Lord!

Psalms 61:3

What a comforting picture of God! He is a shelter from storms. He is a strong tower to protect us from our enemies.

Psalms 61:4

Once again the word wings is mentioned in connection with God. The Lord Jesus also used this illustration when He spoke of gathering Jerusalem to Himself as a mother hen gathers her little ones under her wings to protect them.

Psalms 61:5

David made vows; he promised God something. We ask things of God. Did you ever promise Him anything? (I have promised more than I have delivered, I know that.) You go to God continually and ask Him for something. Why don’t you promise to do something for Him? David did, and God heard his vow.

Psalms 61:6

Here he goes again asking for mercy. David needed the mercy of God. I believe that the closer we get to God, the more we realize that we can’t bring Him down to our level, but we will see Him high and lifted up. Then we will be in the same position as Isaiah was when he had a vision of the Lord sitting upon His throne. We will recognize our uncleanness and our need of His mercy.

Psalms 61:8

Make your vows and then get close to God. Sing His praises, and He will help you fulfill your vows.