Psalm 62

To the choirmaster: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

62 For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.

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

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

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.

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.

This psalm contains two groups of vivid images. References to a rock, fortress, and refuge begin and end the psalm. But in between, we read of a leaning wall, a tottering fence, and something lighter than breath. The contrast is stark. The strong, unmoving, powerful images describe God himself. The fragile and wispy images describe humanity. The words, imagery, and structure of the psalm point us to God as the only secure and trustworthy place.

The heart of the psalm calls us to a response. We’re reminded, “He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress” (v. 6). Then we’re instructed to take action: “Trust in him at all times, O people” (v. 8).

If God is the only stable, safe, and unmoving thing in all the world, the only appropriate response is run to him with trust. And this trust is exclusive. We must trust “God alone” (v. 1). “He alone” is our rock (v. 2), for “God alone” is our hope (v. 5) and “He only” is our rock (v. 6). We’re called to do more than trust God above other things; we are to give him all our trust.

And yet the psalm acknowledges that in between trusting in God and seeing his full salvation, we often have to wait. We might continue to be battered by evil and find ourselves falling. But the waiting tries and proves our trust. God truly is our rock and salvation. So we wait confidently, knowing our hope is sure, placed in the fortress and refuge of our Christ, our rock.