Jesus throughout the Scriptures: Psalms 3 (5)
Pray Psalm 62.5-8.
My soul, wait silently for God alone,
For my expectation is from Him.
He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
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, you people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us.
Selah
Sing Psalm 62.5-8.
(Germany: Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness)
My soul in silence waits, O LORD, hoping in You and in Your Word.
You are my Rock, my Stronghold true, and my Salvation, LORD are You!
On You my hope and glory rest, Rock of my strength and Refuge best!
Trust always in our God, the LORD; take refuge only in His Word.
Read Psalm 62.1-12; meditate on verses 5-8.
Preparation
1. What seems to have prompted this prayer?
2. How did David deal with the situation?
Meditation
Being a Christian means knowing trials and afflictions. It comes with the Kingdom turf into which we have been transplanted (Acts 14.21). One of the great blessings of praying and singing the psalms is that they recognize this fact and guide us in pressing on through our trials. Psalm 62 is an excellent example.
In Psalm 62 we are reminded that all our hope is in God alone, and all our expectation is from Him whether for this life or the life to come (v. 5). He is our Rock, the safe and solid place on which we stand (v. 6). He is our salvation (vv. 1, 2, 6, 7), all our health, prosperity, rest, and eternal life. He will defend us against every threat and amid every trial or trouble. He will not allow us to be moved from the firm foundation of His grace and truth (vv. 2, 6).
Obviously, Jesus fulfills all this promise, so we sing: “On Christ the Solid Rock I stand!/All other ground is sinking sand.” David trusted God to deal with his enemies (v. 12). We have seen how Jesus deals with ours—thwarting them by the Sword of God and binding them to do His bidding (Matt. 4.1-11; 12.22-29). Jesus is our salvation, sent from God; He is our glory and our strength. And His Word, which He speaks to us again and again (v. 11), will never fail.
So in the depths of trials, wait on Him in silence (v. 5). He knows what you need. He has promised to care for your every need, and to bring forth abiding fruit in you. Wait on the Lord, expecting nothing but Him, and you will know His salvation in Jesus.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162.
“My soul, wait silently for God alone,
for my expectation is from Him.
He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be moved.
In God is my salvation and my glory;
the rock of my strength,
and my refuge,
is in God” (Ps. 62.5-7).
If unhappiness is caused by the difference between what we expect and what we actually experience;
then true happiness can only be found in our Triune God Who will never disappoint us.
“Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation” (Ps. 62.1).
“But those who wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint” (Is. 40.31).
“Wait on the LORD;
be of good courage,
and He shall strengthen your heart;
wait, I say, on the LORD!” (Ps. 27.14).
“Wait for the LORD, and He will save you” (Prov. 20.22).
The LORD our Salvation has come, and He will come again.
“To those who eagerly wait for Him
He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation” (Heb. 9.28).
And while we eagerly wait, there is much work yet to be done.
God will strengthen us for the tasks at hand, through His Word, and Holy Spirit.
“I will run the course of Your commandments, for You shall enlarge my heart” (Ps. 119.32).
“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize?
Run in such a way that you may obtain it” (1 Cor. 9.24).
“And let us not grow weary while doing good,
for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Gal. 6.9).
“Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart to Him…
God has spoken once, twice I have heard this:
That power belongs to God.
Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy;
For You render to each one according to his work” (Ps. 62.8, 11, 12).
Wait for God’s power and mercy—for His salvation—and you will not be disappointed.
You will experience what you expect—
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4.7).
“Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
whose hope in in the LORD his God…” (Ps. 146.5).
“Happy are the people whose God is the LORD!” (Ps. 144.15).
Reflection
1. What does Psalm 62 teach us to expect about and from the Lord?
2. How do you experience those expectations in your daily life?
3. Do you think Christians today are suffering from wrong or misguided or mixed expectations? Explain.
The danger is, that when new winds of troubles spring up, we lose that inward tranquillity which we enjoyed, and hence the necessity of improving the example of David, by establishing ourselves in it more and more. He adds the ground of his silence. He had no immediate response from God, but he confidently hoped in him. My expectation, he says, is from God. John Calvin (1509-1564), Commentary on Psalm 62
Pray Psalm 62.1-4, 9-12.
Thank God for His salvation. Bring your trials, afflictions, and challenges to Him, and call out for mercy and grace in your times of need. Thank Him for His promises and rejoice before Him in His grace.
Sing Psalm 62.1-4, 9-12.
(Germany: Jesus, Thy Blood and Righteousness)
My soul in silence waits, O LORD, safely I stand within Your Word!
You are my Rock, my Stronghold true, and my Salvation, LORD, are You!
How long will foes give me offense, striking me like a tottering fence?
They counsel to destroy with lies; they bless, but all the while despise.
Trust not in men of low degree; lighter are they than breath shall be.
Do not rely on strength or gold; trust in the LORD, Who rules from old.
Once God has spoken, twice I have heard: Power belongs alone to the LORD!
And lovingkindness, LORD, is Yours; You recompense us for our works.
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
For more teaching about the subject of this series, “Jesus throughout the Scriptures”, download our free ReVision study, “We Would See Jesus”, by clicking here.
Support for Scriptorium comes from our faithful and generous God, who moves our readers to share financially in our work. If this article was helpful, please give Him thanks and praise.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
