Psalm 62:5-6 - The Blessings Of Prayer And Waiting Upon The LORD.
Psalm 62:5-6 - The Blessings Of Prayer And Waiting Upon The
LORD.
Psalm 62:5-6 (NLT) Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my
fortress where I will not be shaken.
David expressed his feelings to God and then reaffirmed his
faith. Prayer can release our tensions in times of emotional stress.
Trusting God to be our rock, salvation, and fortress will change our
entire outlook on life. When we are resting in God's strength, nothing
can shake us. [Life Application SB]
In this psalm David pours out his heart to God, describing his
difficulties, the enemies that are trying to kill him, and the lies and curses
others have spoken against him. But on the battlefield of life, in the
midst of every trouble, David has a Godward focus. He is honest about
his complaints and problems, but he has purposed to direct his gaze
to the God of all faithfulness, putting his trust in the One who
alone is his rock, salvation, fortress, and refuge. He then can wait
quietly before God because he has put his hope, and his very life, in
the Lord's hands. He doesn't trust in human nature because it is no
more secure than a breath. He doesn't put his hope in riches because
he knows that wealth will not save him. His hope, confidence, and
trust are in the Lord Almighty. If, like David, we are waiting for God
to act when we are in the midst of trouble, we can wait frantically
or impatiently. But to wait quietly in hope takes a deep confidence
in knowing the One we are waiting for. He will never disappoint us.
[Praying Through The Bible By Fuller]
Perhaps the greatest key to spiritual growth is spending time
alone with the Lord. This means taking the time to speak with God
about whatever is on your heart - and, even more importantly, allowing
Him to speak to you.
In Psalm 62:5, King David wrote, "My soul, wait silently for
God alone, for my expectation is from Him." Perhaps that is why
David was known as a man after God's own heart. To win that kind of
reputation, David first needed to know the mind and heart of God so that he
might be and do what the Lord desired of him. David sought to know
God. He frequently "inquired" of the Lord. He spent time in the
Lord's presence, singing to the Lord from the depths of his heart. In 2
Samuel 7:18 we read, "King David went in and sat before the LORD; and
he said, 'Who am I, O Lord GOD? And what is my house, that You have
brought me this far?"
What did it mean for David to sit before the Lord? It means
that he spent time alone in the presence of the Lord, communicating
with the Lord from the deepest part of his soul, asking questions of
God, and listening quietly for the Lord's answers.
Jesus frequently sought time apart with His heavenly Father.
Time with the Father provided Him with a source of comfort and
strength. Jesus also sought time alone with His disciples so that He might
teach them and they might find spiritual refreshment (see Luke 9:10).
We are wise if we choose to spend time alone with God, in a
place without distractions or interruptions, for a period sufficient
for us to relax completely and focus our attention fully upon the
Lord and His Word. We must be willing to wait in the Lord's presence
until we receive God's directives or His words of comfort.
Why don't many of us desire to spend time alone with God? The
foremost reason is that we don't feel sure of our relationship with God
and, therefore, we feel afraid of God. However, as David admonished,
"Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us" (Ps. 62:8).
But those who are born again spiritually have a Father-child
relationship with the Lord. Our heavenly Father loves us unconditionally and
deals with us tenderly and patiently. The more we learn what He's
really like, the more we see Him as Jesus saw Him, the more we will
long to spend time alone with Him - and the more we will know the
fullness of His grace. [Life Principles SB By Charles Stanley re Psa.
62:5-8]
As they grow, children find those safety nets - a blanket, a
stuffed toy, a thumb to suck - that they need to help avoid the scary
parts of life. Similarly, adults trying to avoid the things they dread
may find themselves in a diversion addiction - movies, food, TV,
music; or worse - gambling, drugs, affairs, pornography. God doesn't
want His children to rely on such things to soothe the soul. Instead,
He offers His arms as a safe haven from the trials of life. [The
365 Daily Promise Bible By Barbour re Psa. 62:8]
God is waiting for you to spend some quiet time with Him. Share
what's on your heart - your needs, your hardships, your goals - and
wait for Him to respond. Quiet your heart and your mind as you
connect with Him. Wait patiently for Him (Psalm 37:7). He is always
there to listen and to comfort you - He's the best Friend you could
have. [The 365 Daily Promise Bible By Barbour re Psa. 62:5]
Prayer is so much more than asking God to do what we want done.
Prayer is trusting Him enough, and in all situations and conditions of
life, to do as this verse tells us to do and pour out our hearts to
Him! Our hearts are often full: full of pain or anger; of bitterness
or resentment; of fear and confusion. How wonderful it would be to
pour all of these out before Him who loves us and cares for us. We
can do this "pouring out" through prayer. And we need to. Why not
stop right now and pour it all out before Him; then commit to doing
it weekly, at least. You can trust Him in this! [In His Time Walk
With Wisdom re v. 8]
You're going to face problems--today, tomorrow, and in the days
to come. No one is immune. However, as a believer, you have a new
way to deal with problems because your faith now plays a role in
helping you find a solution. You no longer have to depend on your own
ingenuity. You no longer have to just hope you're doing the right thing.
You can take every problem to God and ask for his guidance,
protection, and wisdom. With God leading you, you will find strength to not
only tackle problems but to surmount them and then to use them as a
resource of knowledge and understanding in the future. [The One Year
Bible for New Believers re Neh. 6:15, 16]
Several men went on a mission trip to Haiti where they met a
nineteen-year-old boy who loved Christ deeply. He impressed them so profoundly
that they invited him to visit the United States.
Upon arrival a whole new world opened up before this young
Haitian's eyes. He had never slept between sheets, never had three meals
on the same day, never used indoor plumbing, and never tasted
McDonald's.
While traveling the U.S., this godly young man made many new
friends. At the end of a six-week-long visit, his sponsors hosted a
farewell dinner in his honor. After dinner several members of the group
offered warm parting remarks. Then they asked the young Haitian if he
would like to say anything.
"Yes," he said as he rose, "I would. I want to thank you so
much for inviting me here. I have really enjoyed this time in the
United States. But I am also very glad to be going home. You have so
much in America, that I'm beginning to lose my grip on my day-to-day
dependency on Christ."
Do you have "so much" that you find it hard to keep a grip on
your day-to-day dependency on Christ? Or worse, have you lost your
grip?
When we don't need to depend on Christ, we will not.... Our
natural tendency is to depend on self, not Christ. Depending on Christ
is an act of the will by faith, not the natural disposition of our
heart.
I have prayed that God will always keep some major unmet need
in my life so that I will always depend upon Him. To be really in
need, like the widow in 1 Timothy 5:5, creates dependency. To have so
much, as the young Haitian observed, creates self-sufficiency. When
our lives prosper, the natural tendency is to lose our grip. Have
your abundant resources kept you from depending on God? Have you lost
your grip on God's help? Focus on a special need that only God can
meet. Seek his help today. [Inspirational SB re Jos.23]
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