Psalm 61:1-4 Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.
There are some days that seem like the list of things to do and responsibilities far outweigh the available hours in the day. As a young college student, I remember facing this feeling of being overwhelmed almost daily. One night at dinner, I was complaining to my friend about all the things that I had to do and the lack of time to complete them. Her response took me off guard – “Have you taken time to read God’s Word today and really commune with Him?” I almost choked on my food. Hadn’t she heard the inexhaustible list of things that I had to get done? I swallowed my food quickly, and listened as she continued to encourage me to set aside extra time to spend with the Lord on the days when I was the busiest. We left the subject in our conversation, but I couldn’t get it off my mind. How could I spare EXTRA time to spend with God when I had all this stuff to do? I remembered that she also encouraged me to read Psalm 61 if I decided to give it a chance. So I did! That night the Lord used this Psalm to convict, challenge, and change me concerning this feeling of being overwhelmed. I have often run back to this Psalm and many other passages of Scripture amidst the busiest times of my life. I have had similar conversations with my friends and even my students since the Lord showed Himself able to sustain me using the truths in this Psalm in my life. That week and many others like it were the most productive when I stopped being overwhelmed with my problems and allowed myself to be overwhelmed by the One Who was trying to teach me through those problems. I’m so glad that He is my shelter and a place of safety for me when it seems that all that is around me is falling to pieces. My God hears me and cares about me! What a wonderful God we serve!