God, our strong tower, our only hope
Oct. 6 – Psalm 61
To the leader: with stringed instruments. Of David.
1 Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer.
2 From the end of the earth I call to you, when my heart is faint.
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I;
3 for you are my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.
4 Let me abide in your tent forever, find refuge under the shelter of your wings. Selah
5 For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
6 Prolong the life of the king; may his years endure to all generations!
7 May he be enthroned forever before God; appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!
8 So I will always sing praises to your name, as I pay my vows day after day.
There are lines in this psalm that we know well: “lead me to the rock that is higher than I”; “let me…find refuge under the shelter of your wings”. When our heart is faint, when we feel abandoned and under attack those are the lines that express well what we want. We want a safe place, a strong place, a secure place. To God we turn, to God we make our vows – stating that in him alone are we secure and safe; that his is the name we honour and are in awe of.
In the light of those statements vs. 6,7 feel out of place, turning to the king and asking for the king to be kept safe and be allowed to reign “forever”. But before we reject this as a nationalistic psalm, let’s go back a look more carefully. God alone controls how long the king will reign – it is up to God if the reign is prolonged or not. Yes, the desire is that the king be enthroned forever – before God. That is, submitted to God. Just as people who came to see the king bowed before him, were subject to the king; here the king is subject to God. The king is not all powerful, the king is a subject in God’s reign. Finally, “steadfast love and faithfulness” are divine attributes in the Psalms and other places in the Bible. God is to watch over the king, both to protect and to hold the king in line.
No human power, no human government, no human institution can provide a safe, strong, secure place. That God alone can do.
PRAYER:
You, O Lord, are The Ruler of all things. So frequently we believe that the political and military and economic powers of this world are in charge, and we put our trust and faith in them. We forget that it is you who place leaders in power, who gives business leaders their positions, who put military leaders in places of authority –and just as easily as you have placed them there you can remove them. You alone are the source of safe refuge and secure protection. Teach us to live by this truth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.