from powerlessness to praise

Hear my cry, O God,

listen to my prayer;

from the end of the earth I call to you

when my heart is faint.

Psalm 61:1-2a

There are times when we feel like we can’t go on. That is the type of feeling David expresses in the opening of this psalm. He feels distant, crying out from “the end of the earth”. He feels powerless describing it personally with the phrase “my heart is faint”. These sorts of feelings can quickly overwhelm our souls unless we cry out to God in faith. The quickest and surest path of emotional expression for a believer is not to vent to a friend or loved one, but rather to pour out to God in prayer. And that prayer is heard.

Once the prayer is made and the difficult emotions are released to God, David shows us how to begin praying in faith, beyond our feelings. He pleads for God to lead him to a place of perspective ...”lead me to the rock that is higher than I)” (Psalm 61:2b), and he trusts God will bring protection ...”you have been my refuge... a strong tower...” (Psalm 61:3). This provides a turning point of hope for the rest of the song, when with new confidence David celebrates his relationship with God through honored vows and a godly heritage (Psalm 61:5). He worships God for His faithfulness and steadfast love (Psalm 61:7), and ends with a commitment to keep praising God (Psalm 61:8).

This transformation from painful, powerless feelings expressed in prayer to delighted praise, all happened because at first David brought his troubled feelings to God in order to seek perspective and protection. And God honored that faithful trust. God became David’s focus, not his feelings. And that brought hope, insight, and praise to his heart once again. So when I feel distant, afraid, or powerless, I will cry out to God!