“When My Heart Is Overwhelmed”

 “When My Heart Is Overwhelmed” 

Psalms 61:2 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.

Dear Friend: Haven’t we all been tired or run down by life, and haven't you had times when it seems like the entire world is against you. In those moments, it is all we can do just to function in a half-way normal manner throughout the day.  When this happens to me, (and it does) I like to go to the Word of God for help. In Psalm 61 David seems to be in this very same place. verse 2 says, “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.” Let me share just a few thoughts and allow God to soothe your troubled heart if you will.

David frequently found himself in situations where he just knew the entire world was against him. He was taken from his father’s flocks and assigned to be a bodyguard and musician for King Saul. He was often sent out into battle and eventually he was hunted down by the king himself. Even after Saul spared his life and he ascended to the throne of Israel, David was burdened by warring nations and his own sinful desires. Troubles seem to follow him, and they were never ending.

No matter the cause or reasons, we can all relate to David at times. It may seem like everything is against you: you got COVID, a cancer diagnosis, a lost job, or the loss of a loved one, a fall to temptation, or some other calamity. And it seems like they all happen at once – just when you think you can stay steady under a new attack, another weight is dropped on your shoulders.

And yet David never lost sight of the One Who could deliver him from any trouble: the Lord. The cry of David’s heart can be an example for us in times of weariness and sadness. The first verse of this psalm is a broken cry to God asking Him to hear his prayers, David asks God to lead him to safety in the midst of  unending tragedy. David claims God as his refuge and strength against his foes and asks God to open His gates to let him dwell there in safety. That same God is here for us today. Call unto Him Who loves you so much.

We may not know the event that caused David to write this psalm, but it is clear that the appropriate response to heartbreak and emotional exhaustion is to turn to God for help and restoration. We can come to Him with our brokenness and trust that He will renew and restore us with strength and peace we cannot fathom.

Is Your Heart Overwhelmed? The sadness described in Psalm 61 is not an everyday sadness. The level of exhaustion and resignation is not the normal tiredness we feel at the end of the day. It is a profound, soul-rending sense of loss and fear. Is this where you are? Do you know of someone that is in this condition? The deep struggles others may go through should never be compared to your pain. Each one of us grieve and sorrow in our own way.

That being said, we can be worn down by the world. Jesus Himself promised us that even our loved ones could turn on us, and practically guaranteed that we would have trouble in this life. Our world is fallen and against anything godly. The evil that abounds in our world today can be very depressing.  On days when it seems that the whole world is against you, a sense of loneliness can be pretty overwhelming. 

What Can We Do? First of all, when you reach the lowest point, know that overwhelming issues are God’s business. He wants to hear the deepest cries of your heart at all times, and if your heart is only capable of producing tears, God will take that honesty. (Romans 8:26 “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

Next, we must always remember that God not only wants to hear our cries, but He also wants to heal our cries. He wants to soothe our broken and tired hearts with His healing presence and replace them with more of Himself. When God is invited into your hurt then you can experience a peace that passes all understanding. We will never fully understand the mind of God in this life, but our faith in Him can sustain us through the dark times.

The next time your heart seems overwhelmed, try turning to God. The Word of God will not return void. God will use even our small faith to work miracles in our hearts. Try reading through this entire psalm or another familiar passage and use those words to pour out your overwhelmed heart to the God Who is never overwhelmed.

I pray these thoughts will be a blessing to someone today. 

In the name of the Lord,

Linda Milam