For God alone my soul waits in silence

Recently I had a crisis where my head and heart violently disagreed with each other. I knew what steps needed to be taken and what God was requiring of me, but instead of quietly submitting I wanted to throw things and shout. I was led to this passage of Scripture and challenged to change my perspective. 

For God alone my soul waits in silence;

from Him comes my salvation.

He only 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 from falsehood.

They bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse.

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 62:1-8 ~

Often I have sought refuge in these verses, especially verse eight. But rarely have I taken the time to examine this verse in its proper context. Rather than reading the verses prior to it, I would just skip right to the comforting thought that God is my refuge. This verse gave me permission to express raw human emotion...but there is more. 

The psalmist emphasizes waiting on God alone by mentioning those words not once, but twice in the same passage. Even David needed that reminder; God's timing may be different than what we expect. He (David) reviews all the external forces that are causing conflict in his life, then repeats the same phrase. "For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence."

This means no questioning or constant pressure for God to reveal His plan. One step at a time. These verses also focus on God as the ultimate source of hope. I cannot place my trust in anyone or anything else, and it is impossible to derive any hope elsewhere. 

Finally, after repeating that God is the rock of our salvation, David exhorts himself and his listeners to trust in God at all times and then encourages us to pour out our hearts before God. He truly is my refuge and I want to trust Him with every aspect of my life.

~Liz