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.
My Soul Will Wait (Psalm 62) by Sovereign Grace, from the album Unchanging God: Songs From The Book Of Psalms Vol 1. Reflections curated by Sovereign Grace Music.
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