Sunday, March 27, 2011

Battling Fear - Psalm 62


David is in the midst of fear. Yet he begins his prayer by glorifying God the Almighty. In verses 3 & 4 he cries out to his enemies. How long do they intend on kicking him when he is down? Verses 5 - 8 provide the bookend to his concern and anxiety with more praise to God. In fact, it almost reads as if he is teaching his people how to handle fear and uncertainty. Verses 9 & 10 remind us that putting our hopes in our idols to provide protection is a fruitless endeavor. 11 & 12 remind us that God is just and loving, but also that He will be faithful to us when we abide in Him.

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.”

We can't command ourselves to have less fear. Our fear needs to be overwhelmed by the greater 
sentiment of fearing God the creator. When we put God first, when we revere the awe inspiring 
God before we move to our concerns...everything is put in order. Thats the story of God's faithfulness.
The story of scripture. We find rest by pouring out our hearts to God like David does in verse 8. God 
wants us to vent to Him. It is cathartic for us, but also productive, since God is the only one that can 
truly come to our aid. We find rest by refusing to seek rest in the world's offer of security. A David says,
these offers are lies. One of the ways we learn to properly fear god is by learning to rest in him. Notice 
that rest is different from rescue. It's not the same thing as escape. It's a calm in the eye of the storm that 
you have to actively seek. Rest comes when we remind ourselves who God is and what he has done. 
David starts the psalm off that way. Stop listening to yourself and start talking to God. Start speaking to 
aloud about what you know is true. Examples of this dialogue, this pouring out of our hearts in prayer 
can be found throughout the psalms.


Lord, teach me to pour my heart out to you. Teach me to come to you in reverence, seeking to tell you 
what I know is true. That you are the only help in the midst of the storm. In you alone I trust.

Much Love.