“Find rest my soul in God alone; my hope comes from him.”
Psalm 62:5
Psalm 61:1b says, “From you comes my salvation,” so why should I look elsewhere? Yet in my sinful independence, my first reaction is to look to “Egypt,” that is to other sources of help. Just as I read last night in Isaiah 30:1-2: “Woe to the obstinate children…who go down to Egypt without consulting me, who look for hope in Pharaoh’s protection, to Egypt’s shade for refuge.”
You, Lord God, tower over, dwarf and eclipse the micro-power of any help we can find on earth. You are the One who deserves praise, trust and obedience. My hope comes from you and you alone. Forgive me for looking elsewhere.
Psalm 62:2 has a trio of your qualities. You “only are my rock:” unshakable, unyielding to any force, firm, solid, enduring and trustable. When I stand in you, no tremor, no problem, no earthquake, no tragedy, no seismic shifting can shake me, for all is in your hand, all is under your power, and you never change, never alter.
“You only are my salvation”: no one else can save me from death, from sin, from hell, from sickness, from accidents, from eternal suffering–only you. As you stand beside me, with your great sword in your hand, no evil can come near me, no difficulty can approach without your permission, no harm can waylay me. Every weakness, hardship, insult, persecution and difficulty are a privilege, a blessing from your hand, a chance to praise, to trust, to give you glory.
“You only are my high tower”: you stand there, immensely tall, strong and good; you reach down, lift me up and set me up on your shoulder. There I am close to you, can hear you, can speak to you, and can see from your perspective: wider, longer, higher. No one can shake me there in this intimate, high level relationship with you–my God, my Savior, my Protector, my Brother, my King.
Truly, I will not be shaken when I am in Jesus, on my rock, surrounded by my salvation, up in my high tower. You, Lord Jesus, in your powerful love are worthy of worship, of glory, of unending honor for you are the Mighty Rock and Secure Refuge of the universe.
Prayer: “To you, Lord Jesus, be exaltation, majesty, strength, glory and praise throughout today and for all eternity. I pray today that you will help me rest in your greatness, to gaze upon your beauty, to bow before you in obedience in each choice that comes up today. May you be exalted in my heart, in my thoughts, in my actions and words. Amen.”
