Episode Transcript
Psalm 61 (ESV)
1Hear my cry, O God,
listen to my prayer;
2 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,
3 for you have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the enemy.
4 Let me dwell in your tent forever!
Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah
5 For you, O God, have heard my vows;
you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
6 Prolong the life of the king;
may his years endure to all generations!
7 May he be enthroned forever before God;
appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!
8 So will I ever sing praises to your name,
as I perform my vows day after day.
CONSIDER
Today’s post is from A Meditative Journey Through the Psalms by Timothy and Julie Tennent. He holds the Methodist Chair of Divinity at Beeson Divinity School and served as president of Asbury Theological Seminary for fifteen years. She is a gifted musician and was one of the driving forces that helped bring to fruition the Seedbed hymnal, Our Great Redeemer’s Praise. We will share some of their writing on the Psalms on Sundays.
This short and beautiful psalm is filled with gentle longings and abiding trust in God. Several of the phrases of this psalm have become so immortalized in hymns and prayers that even the first time a Christian reads Psalm 61 he feels as if he is returning to a dear friend. Listen again to some of these phrases: “From the ends of the earth I call out to you” (v. 2); “lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (v. 2); “For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe” (v. 3); “I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings” (v. 4). The entire psalm is about the character of God and our deep longing to abide with him. Why do Christians love this psalm so much? Well, the iconic phrase, “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I” captures in a single phrase the entire Christian worldview. It is the joyful abandonment of the naturalistic worldview that says that there is no reality above or higher than the autonomous self. As Christians reading or singing this psalm, we know that Jesus Christ is the name of that rock who is higher than all others. He is that “rock that struck the statue” of idolatry and “became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth” (Dan. 2:35).
As Christians, we know that Jesus is our refuge and strong tower, and we can take shelter in his wings because we are in Christ and are “found in him, not having a righteousness of [our] own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ” (Phil. 3:9).
This psalm places in poetical form all that we know to be true about Jesus Christ and the gospel.
For the Awakening,
Timothy and Julie Tennent
HYMN
Sing Psalm 61 with the Seedbed Psalter today. We suggest the tune BEACH SPRING ("Lord, Whose Love Through Humble Service"). You can hear the tunes played online by Julie here. If you listen to the podcast audio version, we will sing the psalm using these tunes. For your convenience, the words from the Psalter are printed below.
1 Hear my pleading cry, O God, and listen to my prayer below.
2 From the ends of earth I call You, as my heart grows faint and low;
Lead me to the rock that’s higher, higher than I e’er could go.
3 You have been my constant refuge, a strong tow-er ‘gainst the foe.
4 How I long to dwell with You, God, in Your tent forevermore,
And take refuge in the shelter of Your wings amidst the storm.Selah
5 For You’ve heard the vows I’ve made, God, and You’ve given unto me
the inheritance of all who fear Your name so faithfully.
6 Now increase the days the king lives; generations his years be.
7 May he be enthroned forever, in God’s presence gloriously.
Send Your love and faithful mercy to protect him all his days;
8 Then I will fulfill my vows and to Your name ever sing praise.
