Now You’re Cooking with Gas

A Series on the Psalms – a collection of prayers
Feeling overwhelmed
 (Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Psalm 61 

[Life is filled with emotions. The book of Psalms is a collection of prayers that express our emotions which are the cry of our soul for help and hope. In this series, we will be looking into the Psalms to learn more about ourselves and our Lord.]

  

During high school, I was pretty self-disciplined about doing my homework. Every night I would sit at the dining room table and complete my assignments.

 

However, there were times when I wasn’t able to solve a problem and would get frustrated. My anger would build until I would ask my Dad for help, hoping that he would just give me the answer. But he never did.

 

He always guided me along and helped me to figure it out on my own. When the light bulb finally came on for me, he would say, “Now you’re cooking with gas”. His words, given with love and encouragement, brought both comfort and confidence to me. In the same way that I asked my Dad for help, David asked the Lord.

 

David was the king of Israel, the leader of the land. And as the saying goes – it’s lonely at the top. Whatever his specific circumstances were when he wrote this psalm, David was feeling overwhelmed and at the end of his rope.

 

¹ O God, listen to my cry!
    Hear my prayer!
^2a From the ends of the earth,
    I cry to you for help
    when my heart is overwhelmed.          NLT

 

He desired to get away from it all. To escape reality because, to be honest, he was tired of dealing with the problems. There was no light at the end of the tunnel.

 

⁴ I long to dwell in your tent forever
    and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.           NIV

 

He felt a need for a newfound security, so he called on the Lord.

 

^2b Lead me to the towering rock of safety, ³ for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.        NLT

 

Finally, David found his source of comfort and confidence in his relationship with the Lord. As he prayed, it was in the third person. Not only did he pray for himself, but also for the fulfillment of the Lord’s covenant which was ultimately completed through Christ.

 

⁶ Add many years to the king's life;
    let him live on and on!
⁷ May he rule forever in your presence, O God;
    protect him with your constant love and faithfulness.       GNT

 

Like David, there are times when we feel overwhelmed; a desire to escape; the need for a newfound security. During those times, turn to the Lord and call out to him. 

And when you do, listen for his response of love and encouragement as he tells you, “Now you’re cooking with gas”.

 

Copyright 2024 Joseph B Williams

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