Psalm 62 has long been a favorite. All of us need a Rock at one time or another. And David’s cry in Psalm 62 has often echoed my own. As I look at the ancient words of a wise and godly (though very broken) king, a few things strike me.
First, the difference between David’s words in the first two verses, “For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.” and verses 5 and 6, “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is found in him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.”
The differences between the two may be subtle; ”For God alone my soul waits” compared to “For God alone, O my soul, wait.” But the focus is so completely different. In one, David is making an observation, born out from experience, I’m guessing. in the first expression, David says what he knows to be true; waiting in silence is a good thing. And God brings salvation. In the second, David is making a choice. And that is a huge difference. Huge!
Again, in the second passage, the differences may seem subtle, but they are striking, indeed. David says, “He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.” (Psalm 62:2 ESV). After making the decision to wait on God alone, however, this statement changes as well. “He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.”
Look at that again, and think about what happens…David goes from not being greatly shaken, to not being shaken.
Wow!! How would you like to not be shaken by the storms of life that ravage our souls? In this passage, David has given us the key to not being shaken, rest in God alone. Wait in silence for Him. Know that He alone is our rock, oru hope, our salvation, our fortress. In Him, we do not need to be shaken, greatly or otherwise. And that is a precious truth to meditate on.
This photo was taken in Rocky Mountain National Park. Though you can’t see it clearly here, the roots of the tree on top of the rock go down deep into the rock formation, and come out close to where I was standing when I took the photo. Sinking roots down deep into the Rock of Jesus, trusting Him alone for our hope and salvation, is the key to not being shaken. If only it was as easy to do as it is to talk about, write about, or take pictures of…
“For God alone my soul waits in silence;
From Him comes my salvation.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
My fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken…
For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
For my hope is from Him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
My fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my salvation and my glory;
My might rock, my refuse is God.
Trust in Him at all times, O people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah”
Psalm 62:1-2, 5-8 ESV, capitalization of pronouns for God changed.
For the Harvest 