Psalm 61: Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer.

The psalm is a prayer. Its opening words – though they are a plea to be heard - reflect as all prayer should the pray-ers trust in God - praising Him as the rock, a refuge, a shelter; expressing a desire for being with Him for ever.

David is troubled, anxious, he feels a long way from God. His heart is faint. The shepherd boy, God’s chosen king, who defeated the lion and the wolf in defence of his sheep and Goliath in defence of Israel is afraid. As with David so it may be for us.

Life in general and the Christian life is no exception, is a mix of sorrow and joy; in Christian terms a pilgrimage of comfort and challenge. We never have the comfort of joy that doesn’t seem to be undone by troubling challenge. And sometimes – in school, in work, in retirement, in young years and in older we may feel that our troubles will never end.

It’s in such despair that David prays.

What a trust he has in God; what a friend we have in Jesus.

We can take everything to Him in prayer.

David portrays God as a rock. It’s a puzzling image. How can a rock be a blessing?

But it is a picture of God as one who is high and lifted up;

of a shelter against the wind; of a shade against the sun;

a protection against the eyes of enemies;

a cool, solid presence of support;

the God for us, the God with us. A refuge. A shelter. A firm protection against enemies.

We may have human enemies, such as Russia against Ukraine.

Some of our enemies may be non-human invaders of our personal well-being,

like Covid, or flu, cancer or other sickness.

Some may be our frailties: failing legs, closing ears, shrinking sight.

Some may come to us from the enemy of all people, as apparent friends, like temptations.

In his anxiety David appeals to God. His heart may be faint but His trust is bright. He knows he is far and distant from God but he does not see God as a far away uninvolved God.

Before the Temple was built, God instructed Israel to make a tent, a tabernacle, and there He promised to dwell with them. David would love to dwell with God in that tabernacle. He would love to feel safe under God’s protecting wings. As a country boy David would have seen fledglings sheltering under their mother’s wings, so he pictures God’s protecting love.

When Jesus came, God came to be with us directly as a human being. He is the Word became flesh, that is to say: Jesus tabernacled with us. He is Emmanuel. God with us. God alongside us. God like a mother hen come to shelter us under His protecting wings.

David prays for long life for the king. Possibly for himself; more likely for all the kings that God promised would come from him, yet also prophetically for Jesus, his true dynasty son, who is also God’s son. Though He was crucified, the Father’s steadfast love and faithfulness watched over Him and has enthroned Him forever.

Through Jesus, we have, as David knew he had been given, an eternal heritage, one that can never perish, spoil or fade. Though we may suffer grief in all sorts of trouble, we can, even more than David, rejoice, for God dwells with us now by His Holy Spirit. Our bodies are temples of the living God and He has chosen us to dwell with Him and He with us forever in the new creation, where joy will never be troubled.

Therefore hard though it may be, when troubles depress our lives, let us go to the psalms, or the songs of the church, let us ask the Holy Spirit to enable and empower us and let us like David pray, whether our hearts be strong or faint. God’s steadfast love and faithfulness watches over us. So let us sing praises to His name. Amen.