A Refuge for a New Year
By Ps Danny Chua
Another new year descends upon us. Some of us woke up up on 1 January full of fire — ready to conquer new challenges, chase new goals, and scale new heights. Others feel the opposite. The thought of another year is exhausting, even frightening. New challenges feel like threats, not opportunities.
How can we face all that is ahead? Psalm 61 gives us the answer: we cry out. The weak and weary Christian cries out to God.
What is striking is who cries out in this psalm. It is David — the shepherd boy turned warrior king, the one who defeated lions, bears, and giants, the man who knew that true power rested in the name of the LORD. And yet here he is, crying out: “Hear my cry, O God… I call as my heart grows faint.”
This is a desperate prayer. David sounds far from the throne, as if he is on the run, isolated and overwhelmed. Whatever he is facing has drained him of strength. His heart is faint. And yet his plea is simple: “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”
But what follows is unexpected. David’s deepest longing is not simply for his circumstances to improve. He longs for God Himself: “I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.” Safety, for David, is found not in escape but in nearness — in God’s presence, faithfulness, and promises.
Finally, David lifts his eyes to the future and breaks into praise. His hope rests in God’s promised King, one who will reign forever (v. 6-7). From our side of history, we see this clearly fulfilled in Jesus — great David’s greater Son, who came to shelter the weak, bear our sin, and bring God’s presence to us.
So as we step into a new year, perhaps anxious and uncertain, here is the good news: those who are crushed in spirit qualify for refuge. Under the sheltering wings of King Jesus, we cry out, cling close, and walk on with Christ.
