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My Soul Waits for God Alone
To the choirmaster: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
62 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.
How long will all of you attack a man
to batter him,
like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
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
For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
for my hope is from him.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my salvation and my glory;
my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah
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.
Put no trust in extortion;
set no vain hopes on robbery;
if riches increase, set not your heart on them.
Once God has spoken;
twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.
For you will render to a man
according to his work.
(ESV)
Psalm 62 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
Back in high school, I used to play percussion in concert band. One of my favorite instruments was the cymbal. No, I’m not talking about the hand cymbals (those things were heavy), but rather, the suspended cymbal (mounted on a stand). During a rise in the musical piece, as the orchestra would being to swell, I loved taking the felt mallets and building an intense crescendo culminated with an emphatic crash at the end. The energy and adrenaline that comes from such a sound is irresistible!
Psalm 62 begins slow and builds to a surging crescendo. It’s easy to gloss over the subtle differences in the verses. As he does many times, David begins the psalm with a cry.
My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation. 2 He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken.
Psalms 62:1-2 NASB
The reason we know this is more of a cry and not a statement is by looking at the original verb structure. These two verses begin with truth but are somewhat lacking (more on this later).
David articulates three important points. (1) He will wait in silence. (2) The Lord is his Salvation and rock. (3) He will not be greatly shaken. Consider what this looks like in your current situation. Are you resolved to wait on the Lord? Are you confident that He is Your Rock and Salvation? Do you believe that it is through Him (not yourself) that you will not be shaken?
As David continues the psalm, his demeanor changes. His tone is influenced by the arrival of his enemies in verses 3 and 4. You would think that David’s attitude would become worse, but this threat actually strengthens his faith! In verses 5 and 6, he makes nearly the exact same statement as before, with some significant changes. God is stirring a crescendo of faith within his heart.
My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.
Psalms 62:5-6 NASB
Notice the subtle difference. In the original text, the verb structure has changed to an imperative. This means David’s tone is now read as an exclamation rather than a cry. Compare verse 2 with verse 6. Before, David was not greatly shaken. Now that he has worked through his grief in prayer and worship, he is not shaken at all!
This is a great reminder for us that hard times strengthen our faith. As much as we hate to go through them, they cause us to dig in our heels and proclaim with absolute certainty that we will not be shaken! We must believe this today! Whatever you are currently facing, trust wholeheartedly that God is your strength. He is your refuge. He is your stronghold. When we stand upon Him, nothing can shake us. Death and sin have already been defeated and our lives are now filled with the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Believe and trust this promise today!