Monthly Message

PSALM 62:5-8 - My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God. Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us.

The theme of Psalm 62 is “My only Rock, My only Salvation.” The psalm begins with Truly my soul silently waits for God: The emphasis in this line is of surrendered silence before God and God alone. The word truly is often translated alone or only and seems to have that sense here. David began by declaring his great confidence in and trust upon God. This psalm seems to come from a time of trouble, yet it asks God for nothing. It is full of faith and trust, but has no fear, no despair, and no petition.

In the opening lines of the psalm, David said that this was the state of his soul. Here he spoke to his soul, telling it to remain in that place of trust in and surrender to God. David’s complete expectation was upon God. David now urges on himself the silence which he simply stated in verse 1.

For God alone: They trust not God at all who trust him not alone. He that stands with one foot on a rock, and another foot upon a quicksand, will sink and perish, as certainly as he that stands with both feet upon a quicksand. David knew this, to trust only upon God.

He only is my rock and my salvation: David assured himself by repeating the lines from Psalm 62:2. It was true for David, and he wanted it to remain true. I shall not be moved: David repeated the idea from Psalm 62:2, but with this small variation. In verse 2 he wrote; I shall not be greatly moved. In this verse he seems to come to an even stronger position: I shall not be moved.

My refuge is in God: The emphasis again reflects David’s decision to trust in nothing or no one else. God alone is his salvation, his glory, his rock, his strength, and his refuge. We sense David was tempted to trust many different things, but he refused and kept his expectation in God alone. “Observe how the Psalmist brands his own initials upon every name which he rejoicingly gives to his

God– my expectation, my rock, my salvation, my glory, my strength, my refuge; he is not content to know that the Lord is all these things; he acts in faith towards him, and lays claim to him under every character.” (Spurgeon)

Trust in Him at all times, you people: David felt what was good for him was good for others, also. As a leader of God’s people, he spoke wisdom to them, reminding them that God was worthy at all times of their trust in Him. Pour out your heart before Him: God’s strength and stability made David rightly think of Him as a rock. Yet God was not insensitive or unfeeling like a rock. God invites His people to pour out their heart – their sorrows, their joys, their trust, and their doubt, all of it – before Him.

As we are now in the seventh month of waiting, how have you cultivated the idea of waiting and being silent before God? As you sit quietly before God, have you felt His presence?