“Hear my cry, O God,
listen to my prayer;
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,
for you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the enemy.”
Who are you crying out to these days? Is it the emptiness of your house, to your children, to a friend through a text?
Feeling distant and fainthearted can be something that drives us to the Lord. And one beautiful thing about this passage in Psalm 61 is that it is not focused on our powerlessness, but on God’s strength, which is always infinitely higher than ours.
Remember This
When our weakness is exposed by our feelings of being overwhelmed and frustrated, we need to remember two things:
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First, refuge will not be found by giving in to our feelings and letting them rule us. God is our strong tower, and running to Him is how we are shielded from the enemy’s attacks.
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Second, God is not surprised by our situation. He has promised to be the refuge and defense we need. He has been that for us in the past, and He will continue to be our rock and strong tower in the future. Not only is His character not changed by our circumstances, He is working through our individual situations to make us more like Jesus.
What Our Weakness Shows
Our frailty reveals to us just how much we need a Savior. So when your grief or your sinful attitudes reveal that you need rescue and refuge, cry to the Lord and know that He hears you no matter how faintly you cry. And then look for ways He is showing you that He is your refuge and strength.
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Is your weakness being revealed by having to work from home? Is sin more obvious because your family is thrown together more than usual, stepping on each others’ toes throughout the day? Is homeschooling the last thing you ever wanted to do or the thing you feel the least equipped for?
God Will Use This
God’s hand is in this, too. He is not abandoning you to figure everything out on your own. He has given you the Holy Spirit to be with you in this.
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He will use working from home for your good and His glory, showing you your dependence on Him. He will give your family opportunities to face sin and repent and grow in fellowship with one another. He will open your eyes more to your children’s world and pull you closer together.
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All of these situations are opportunities to be led for refuge to the Rock who is higher than we are. And this is all His good work in our lives.
