Psalm 62:1

Psalm 62:1

Rest in God

Yes, once again, the background of another Psalm is conspiracy and deceit and lies (v4). We meet again with those contemptuous evildoers who scheme against King David. He uses descriptive language to depict those who are evil, but this Psalm is not so much a rant but rather a statement of facts. The key is that David has learned, by experience, that his trust is in a God who is unfailing and all-powerful. There have been suggestions that the King is now an elderly man, and rather than allowing his enemies to rile him he treats them with contempt for he has learned to trust the Lord completely. At its heart, this Psalm is an appeal to God to continue to uphold him, for God is unfailing love, and simple trust is all that the King needs to survive. Unfailing love from the Lord and simple trust from us, that’s all it takes. That is faith. 

 

V1        We used to sing a hymn that started with the words, “There is a place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God. A place where sin cannot molest, near to the heart of God.” It is so true; the closer we draw to our God and the more intimate we become with Him, the less we concern ourselves with the raging storms around us. We know that our boat is rocking and that the onslaughts are fierce, but He is with us and we are safe. I suspect that such faith takes time to develop and grow – a lifetime! Thankfully, the Lord does not throw us, as lambs in the flock, straight into a hurricane, instead the storms that we face seem to be directly proportional to the faith that is given us to survive! Whatever the circumstances, we may be sure of one thing, that our rest is in Him, and our salvation comes from Him. Recent Psalms have tested my thinking on this a great deal. It’s all about relinquishing control and letting God become master and then trusting Him. The more we do it, the greater the rest, and the more we realise that all salvation is found in our Lord. Hand over the finances. Hand over the areas of temptation. Hand over the future. Hand over your relationships. Hand over the work problems and the struggle for recognition. Hand it all over, take your hands off and find rest for your soul.  Hallelujah! 

 

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