“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.” Psalm 62:5-8 (ESV)

These verses are the perfect follow up to last week’s verses from Psalm 56:3-4 and what Ben Moore shared with us. Why is it when we are afraid that we can put our trust in God? Indeed, Elizabeth Elliot and Rachel Saint would have had some level of fear returning to the people who had taken the lives of their husbands, yet they did so. Psalm 62 gives us the reasons for putting our trust in God. He has proven himself faithful.

David uses several words to describe the trustworthiness of God:

  • He is my rock – God is the sturdy ground that acts as either the strong support for a home or the mountain that rises above the floodwaters. David had built his life on this firm foundation.
  • He is my salvation – David knew what it felt like to be surrounded by people who wanted him dead. Time and time again, God had delivered him. Whether it was from a boasting giant (Goliath), a jealous king (Saul), or a usurping son (Absalom), God saved him from what looked like certain doom.
  • He is my fortress – when the marauding armies invade the countryside, nothing feels as safe as a city with a strong army and strong walls. God is the one that David ran to when his enemies or even his sins attacked. God surrounded him with a strong defense.
  • He is my refuge – we have to pay attention to this, don’t we Refuge Church? When David’s life filled with storms, he ran for the shelter, the haven, the harbor of God’s loyal love and compassion.

Yet, from the beginning of the biblical story, humans have found it challenging to trust in God. Adam and Eve broke God’s command because they didn’t trust his wisdom. The people of Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years because of their unbelief in Yahweh. David’s son Solomon abandoned the covenant with Yahweh and put his trust in other gods. In every case, they put their trust in something that looked appealing but fell apart beneath their feet. The end of the Old Testament shows a people who are broken by all the broken promises of sin. Some dared to hope God could once again be their rock, their salvation, their fortress, and their refuge.

Enter Jesus. Behold the one who is the promised Messiah, the one who fulfilled the law and every one of God’s promises. He took on all the sin and brokenness of this fallen world on the cross and rose again three days later, as he said. Paul states it this way in 2 Corinthians 1:20, “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him (Jesus). That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.” It falls to us to trust these glorious promises by trusting Jesus.

David’s call to the people in these verses is a call to us.  Trust in Yahweh at all times. That isn’t easy, which is why he says to pour out your heart before him. He is full of emet; we can stand on him as unshakeable ground.  God has proven in the gift of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, that he is full of faithfulness to us and to his promises.