Stronghold

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Friends, this is an occasional summer series on the Psalms. I read one psalm a day, every day; you can see my reading schedule for the summer here.

Today is one of my favorites.

 
 

Psalm 62

1 For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.

The psalmist begins with a clarifying statement:

Because our help only comes from God and nowhere else, the right course of action is to wait in the silence for that salvation to arrive. Stand watch; keep a lookout; don’t give up. We wait on the Lord, and no one else.

 
 

2 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.

God alone—and no one and nowhere else—is

  • rock

  • salvation

  • fortress

Because God is a rock, he is a safe place on which to stand.

Because he is fortress—I think I prefer the translation “stronghold” better!—salvation comes from him.

 
 

3 How long will all of you attack a man
to batter him,
like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
4 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

The psalmist gives us a glimpse of his problems—deceitful people who are working for his destruction.

 
 

5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
    for my hope is from him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
7 On God rests my salvation and my glory;
    my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

8 Trust in him at all times, O people;
    pour out your heart before him;
    God is a refuge for us. Selah

The psalms returns to his chorus and reminds his people that their stronghold is the Lord.

 
 

9 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.
10 Put no trust in extortion;
set no vain hopes on robbery;
if riches increase, set not your heart on them.

Like the Teacher in Ecclesiastes, the psalmist knows that life is short and fleeting, and that neither high position nor low position, nor crime nor wealth can make a person truly secure.

 
 

11 Once God has spoken;
twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
12 and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.
For you will render to a man
according to his work.

And the psalmist closes by reminding himself that, despite appearances to the contrary, God is actually in control, and that our actions will be judged.

 
 

I’ve always liked John Michael Talbot’s version of this psalm.

 
 

Happy Saturday, folks.