Aug-21-0495-Silently waiting for God alone
495_Silently waiting for God alone Psalm 62 For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. 2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. 3 How long will all of you attack a man to batter him, like a leaning wall, a tottering fence? 4 They only plan to thrust him down from his high position. They take pleasure in falsehood. They bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse. Selah 5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. 7 On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. 8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah 9 Those of low estate are but a breath; those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath. 10 Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them. 11 Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God, 12 and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. For you will render to a man according to his work. Years ago, a young missionary found himself falsely accused of misconduct in a foreign land. The accusations spread rapidly, and his reputation was all but destroyed. Friends advised him to defend himself publicly and clear his name. But after much prayer, he chose to let God speak for him. Eventually, the truth emerged—entirely apart from the missionary’s efforts—and his integrity was restored. When asked why he hadn’t defended himself, he replied, “If I had spoken, they would have only heard my voice. But by staying silent, they heard God’s.” Psalm 62 reflects that attitude of quiet trusting surrender to God’s authority. For once, David is neither pleading nor demanding. For this unique psalm neither contains prayer nor supplication. It is simply a reflection of the unshaken confidence of the one who knows that God is his helper. David’s world was not calm. He was surrounded by enemies, people who schemed with flattering words to bring him down. He was regarded as a weakling ready to fall at any moment, like a tottering fence. They thought that one push would destroy him. He saw through their hypocrisy and malice. Yet, amidst this time of real danger and deep betrayal, David says, “For God alone my soul waits in silence... He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.” This is not passivity nor fatalism. It is the word of faith, which refrains from reacting or fixing or explaining our own stance. David is not scrambling to defend himself, or to gather his own strength and call in reinforcements. This is mere foolishness in the eyes of the world. But to wait on God is