Let Me Not Wander

Once God has spoken;     Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God;     And lovingkindness is Yours, O Lord, For You recompense a man according to his work. (NASB) These two verses go together. The first thing that the Psalmist has learned from God is that He is powerful. He is sovereignly in control. There is none like Him in the extent of power, insomuch as power belongs to him. All that happens, happens because of Him. That alone would be an element of fear. To have one being that was in control to do as He wishes, that alone would be a thing of dread. This power that God holds does not come alone. It is perfectly coupled with His grace (His lovingkindness). Together, these two qualities are something to run to, not away from. This culminates the idea of God as a stronghold and a fortress. There is safety in Him. The one with all power is seeking out our good in all things. This is a combination worthy of our praise, our adora...

Do not trust in oppression And do not vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, do not set your heart upon them. (NASB) This verse is directed more to those who might go all out to get the things that they think they need. They eventually resort to sinful methods of gain: oppression and robbery. Even if this works, even if they get away with it for a season, they shouldn't (and won't) trust in it. It is a fleeting gain.

Men of low degree are only vanity     and men of rank are a lie; In the balances they go up;     They are together lighter than breath. (NASB) Rank makes no difference in the Kingdom of God. All together our little prestiges add up to nothing. The low born men are an emptiness. The men that have some great position, it is all a lie. It has no lasting value. The only thing that has substance is God Himself. This Psalm is a plea to give your life to God. He is worth it! He is the only one who is worthy.

Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah. (NASB) The author of this Psalm has reminded himself, he has pleaded with himself, and now he is calling out to those around him. He is letting the people know that God is trustworthy. You can pour your heart out to Him, and it will not return void, for He is a God who cares, and is a refuge for us.

On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. (NASB) He is our salvation, but He is also our glory. We have nothing to glory in. If there is anything good, it is because of God's work in us. Our glory rests in Christ. Do you have something about yourself which you are proud of? Don't be. If there is anything in you or about you that is worthy of glory, it is because of Christ.

He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken. (NASB) In verse 2 He makes a comment about not being greatly shaken, or exceedingly shaken. Here in verse 6 the Psalmist adds, I shall not be moved at all . It is a slight difference in the original, but it definitely shows a progression. His trust builds as he is putting his hope in the true stronhold.

My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him. (NASB) Waiting in silence for God only, (or as it says in the NIV, finding rest in God alone ,) is restated here, this time almost as a command to the soul. It is almost as if the author is reminding himself, "Your only hope is in God! The only place that you can go to find peace is in His strongholds! Why are you seeking other things? Why are you idolizing things that can't satisfy? Seek God and God alone!"

They fully intend to topple him      from his lofty place;      they take delight in lies. With their mouths they bless,      but in their hearts they curse. Selah (NIV) As the Psalmist wrote these words, he had in mind those who were out to get him, to bring him down. You may not have any people who are wanting to do that, but many times we have the lusts in our own hearts that are aiming at the same end. The Bible says that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. Many times our own hearts are lying to us. The inner self is seeking to meet its own needs. It is telling us the wrong things. Maybe it is telling you that some particular thing isn't actually wrong, when you know it is. Maybe your heart is telling you that you simply can't do something, you are not worthy of service to the Lord, when you know that is a false humility to disguise your fear of man or your laziness. Whatever...

How long will you assault a man? Would all of you throw him down— this leaning wall, this tottering fence? (NIV) Psalm 62 is one of my favorite Psalms. I have read it many times. When I used to read it, I would skim over this verse and the others like it in this passage. They didn't really seem to apply to me because I didn't really have anyone trying to topple me down. As I have grown older, these verses have taken on meaning for me. I may not be in some position of leadership where there are people trying to destroy me or my reputation, but I have definitely felt like there were things in my life that were assaulting me. And I have most definitely been a leaning wall and a tottering fence. By myself I have not been a strong tower. I also used to think of other leaders as those strong towers, but they are not. If there is anyone in Christian leadership who has maintained his strength, it is because he is resting firmly in the strongholds of Jesus Christ....

He only is my rock and my salvation, My (D)stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken. (NASB) Here again we can see that salvation is found in God alone. I believe that this is one of the points that the psalmist is trying to emphasize in this particular psalm. We cannot seek our salvation in anything else. We also cannot seek our salvation in any combination of God with something else. He is a jealous God, who will not share worship. But He is such a great salvation. He will not share, because He made us and knows that divided worship won't work. He is a rock and a fortress, when it is He alone . We will not be toppled down as long as we are in Him.

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. (NIV) There is a huge, massive truth in this verse. It is a truth about the very nature of man. It is a truth about the key to a happy, fulfilled existence. In this passage, the word soul is the hebrew word nephesh , which is not referring to the immortal soul, it is referring to "...self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, or passion..." This part of the man will find peace in God alone . As humans though we seek to find peace in everything imaginable, in every created thing. Peace and happiness will elude us as long as we seek it in these temporary things. True peace will only be found in the creator. The only one that is worthy of our passions, appetites, thoughts, emotions, etc. is God Himself! God knows this, so he has told us this time and time again. He commands it in the ten commandments, "...You shall have no other gods before me." Jesus tel...