Overwhelmed

Psalm 61 (NKJV): "Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. For You, O God, have heard my vows; You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name. You will prolong the king’s life, His years as many generations. He shall abide before God forever. Oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him! So I will sing praise to Your name forever, that I may daily perform my vows."

From Psalm 61, let us explore four aspects:

A Cry and a Call

Cries are familiar to all of us. The word "cry" is rinnah in Hebrew, which can also mean a prayer or singing.

2 Chronicles 20:22 (NKJV): "Now when they began to sing [rinnah] and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated."

Psalm 30:5 (NKJV): "For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy [rinnah] comes in the morning."

The word "call" is qara’ in Hebrew.

Genesis 1:5 (NKJV): "God called [qara’] the light Day, and the darkness He called Night."

Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV): "Call [qara’] to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know."

We all experience overwhelming moments in life—whether due to world events or personal challenges. In such times, we need a hiding place, and that can only be found in the Lord.

Psalm 61:2 (NKJV): "From the end of the earth I will cry to You when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I."

Many saints, including Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Job, Jonah, David, and Peter, were overwhelmed. Whether through God's perfect or permitted will, we all go through overwhelming moments. But there is always salvation and restoration in the end.

Luke 22:31–32 (NKJV): "Simon, Simon! Indeed Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."

We can come to the Rock of Christ. His love can replace our fears and anxieties. The Lord wants us to trust and honor Him.

A Commitment and a Consecration

Psalm 61:4 (NKJV): "I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings."

No matter how hard it may seem, we need to make the decision to abide and trust in Him.

A Comfort and a Consolation

Psalm 61:5–7 (NKJV): "For You, O God, have heard my vows; You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name. You will prolong the king’s life, His years as many generations. He shall abide before God forever. Oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him!"

As we journey through life, we take comfort in God's promises—His heritage and His mercy to preserve our lives.

A Celebration and a Climax

Psalm 61:8 (NKJV): "So I will sing praise to Your name forever, that I may daily perform my vows."

God is with us through all our overwhelming moments, times, and seasons. He wants us to be overcomers.

John 16:33 (NKJV): "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

1 John 4:4 (NKJV): "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."

Conclusion

Let us develop a listening ear and begin to hear the Word of the Lord, gaining wisdom from on high.

Revelation 2:7 (NKJV): "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God."

James 3:17 (NKJV): "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy."

May we celebrate and reach our potential in Christ. In both good and difficult times, may we fulfill the vows we have made in our lifetime in Christ. May we continue to experience overwhelming moments of His love, mercy, and presence.