COME HOME

Psalm 61

            Homeless. One can be homeless even while have necessary shelter. One can be homeless even surrounded by family and friends. To be homeless can be a spiritual malady. As David, king of Israel, was forced to flee for his life from his son Absalom. From east of the Jordan River, forced from his own land, David was ‘homeless.’

            “Hear my cry…from the end of the earth I call to You” (vs 1,2). Though David had travelled a few miles from Jerusalem, he felt as though he had arrived at the ‘end of the earth.’

            “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I…” (vs 2). David found a physical place of refuge as he fled from his son. David needed more than just a place to hide. David needed a confidence that can only come with a profound sense of God’s presence. A ‘rock’ often suggests a fortification that cannot be destroyed, impenetrable by the enemy. David needed more than just a place to lay his head. David needed a place to rest his heart.

            The last stanza of the Psalm (vs 6-8) is celebratory. David’s prayer changes tone. Having found a ‘home’ for his heart in the presence and purpose of God David could once again celebrate all that God had done in establishing his line of succession.

            Recent events have created a sense of homelessness for many. Protests unsettling cities around the county. Covid-19 numbers are growing in some areas, decreasing in others. Unemployment hangs over our economy as a dark cloud. The ‘home’ where we once felt comfortable is now a little unsettling. The ‘home’ we thought was secure appears to be less so.

            Come home – not to the way life used to be, but to the promise of God’s protection even when the world around us seems to collapse. Come home – wherever you are is never too far for God to reach.