Weds 6 October - Psalm 62
Psalm 62
1 Truly my soul finds rest in God;
my salvation comes from him.
2 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.3 How long will you assault me?
Would all of you throw me down—
this leaning wall, this tottering fence?
4 Surely they intend to topple me
from my lofty place;
they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless,
but in their hearts they curse.5 Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him.
6 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
7 My salvation and my honour depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
8 Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.9 Surely the lowborn are but a breath,
the highborn are but a lie.
If weighed on a balance, they are nothing;
together they are only a breath.
10 Do not trust in extortion
or put vain hope in stolen goods;
though your riches increase,
do not set your heart on them.11 One thing God has spoken,
two things I have heard:
“Power belongs to you, God,
12 and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”;
and, “You reward everyone
according to what they have done.”- - -
Meditation on Psalm 62
Here is a Psalm of contrasts. On the one hand the Psalmist is reminding us of the relationship we can have with God. On the other hand, he is reminding us of the battles we face as the children of God.
Jeduthun, referred to in the title of this Psalm - as also in the title of Psalms 39 and 77 – is one of three of David’s choir leaders. Jeduthun is also charged with ‘the sounding of the trumpets and cymbals and for the playing of other instruments for sacred song.’ (1 Chronicles 16:41-42)
Thank God for our musicians who play various instruments.
This is one of the very few Psalms where there is no prayer, no requests to bring to God. There is that being still and quiet in God’s presence which the Psalmist here encourages, in spite of the external forces at work against him.
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD Verses 1-2; 5-8 and 11-12
In so many of the Psalms we read of a troubled soul - e.g. Psalm 6:3 ‘my souls is in deep anguish’. In Psalm 31:7 the Psalmist cries out, ‘..you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.’
Job has a similar cry – Job 7:11 ‘I will not keep silent; I will speak out in the anguish of my spirit, I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.’
If we are honest, we have all been there.
One commentator puts it like this, ‘Spiritual fatigue is feeling tired or exhausted in your Christian journey. Spiritual fatigue is also referred to as spiritual weariness or a lack of strength to push forward; in other words, when we feel spiritually drained, defeated, and at times sick of trying. Everyone experiences spiritual weariness.’
The antidote to this is not more busyness but more stillness.
‘My soul finds rest in God alone.’
This is not referring to our physical day-to-day activities, whether in the workplace or in the home. This is to renew our strength in God. ‘They that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint.’ (Isaiah 40:31)
And when we rest in Him, we rediscover Him to be to us all we need and He provides for all our needs. Notice that the Psalmist is reminding us of a personal relationship with the Lord as he uses the personal pronoun ‘my’.
- ‘my salvation comes from Him’ For us, we look back to the Cross and reaffirm our trust in His sacrifice there for our sins. ‘Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.’ (Acts 4:12)
- ‘my rock; my mighty rock; my salvation; my fortress; my refuge.’ There is unshakeable security for the believer. The Psalmist repeats this in verses 6 and 8 as if to reinforce the wonderful relationship we have with the Lord. Again, we are reminded of Psalm 46:1 God IS our refuge and strength, an EVER-PRESENT help in trouble.’
- ‘my hope comes from Him’ Remember the hymn? ‘My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ, the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.’
BE AWARE OF THE ENEMIES Verses 3-4 and 9-10
The Psalmist admits to sometimes feeling like ‘a leaning wall’ and ‘a tottering fence.'
It’s as if he is on the verge of collapse and his enemies are watching and waiting for him to give in and give up as if he is a pushover.
But they are not really any threat, whoever they are, whether ‘lowly’ or ‘highborn’.
They trust in their own strength and their own ways – but ‘they are nothing.’
When all is said and done, the Psalmist reminds us to ‘Trust in the Lord at all times; pour out your hearts to Him, for He is our refuge.’
Enjoy your ‘rest’!
- - -
(Roger Purdom)
New International Version - UK (NIVUK)
Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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