Rest (Psalm 62)

¹ Truly my soul finds rest in God;
my salvation comes from him.
² Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

³ How long will you assault me?
Would all of you throw me down—
this leaning wall, this tottering fence?
⁴ Surely they intend to topple me
from my lofty place;
they take delight in lies.
With their mouths they bless,
but in their hearts they curse.

⁵ Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from him.
⁶ Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
⁷ My salvation and my honor depend on God;
he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
⁸ Trust in him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.

⁹ Surely the lowborn are but a breath,
the highborn are but a lie.
If weighed on a balance, they are nothing;
together they are only a breath.
¹⁰ Do not trust in extortion
or put vain hope in stolen goods;
though your riches increase,
do not set your heart on them.

¹¹ One thing God has spoken,
two things I have heard:
“Power belongs to you, God,
¹²     and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”;
and, “You reward everyone
according to what they have done.”

 ——-

What stood out to me in today’s psalm is the word “rest.”  Where do I find my rest?  Where do I find calmness in the middle of the storm?  Where do I find assurance and peace when there are so many things around me that could take it away?

David considers and rejects three options that people may look to for rest:  Other people, wealth, and power.  Trusting in people for our rest is trusting in a fleeting breath, he says.  Even if wealth increases, David warns not to trust in it.  Regarding power, David points to God as being the true source of all power.

Where then does David find rest?  In God alone.  He is the fortress, the rock, the refuge.  Salvation and honor come from Him alone.  This psalm is a very straightforward call to find our rest and hope in God alone, to examine our hearts and lives and seek out where we truly are placing our hope. Is it in God alone?

So my prayer today is for a faith that trusts in God alone, and finds rest in Him, especially in the turmoil and tumble of everyday life.

I must also point out that whenever I hear or read this Psalm, this setting by John Michael Talbot starts playing in my head.  A beautiful rendering of this psalm:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCWSz0mL888

NOTE:

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