Psalm 62
1 For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.
My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. 2 He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I shall never be shaken.
3 How long will you assault a man? Would all of you throw him down— this leaning wall, this tottering fence? 4 They fully intend to topple him from his lofty place; they take delight in lies. With their mouths they bless, but in their hearts they curse. Selah 5 Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.
6 He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I shall not be shaken. 7 My salvation and my honour depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. 8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Selah
9 Lowborn men 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 take pride in stolen goods; though your riches increase, do not set your heart on them. 11 One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, 12 and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.
Psalm 62
What God can mean to you
(Verses 1-8) This psalm, like many others, centres around David’s reaction and response to intense opposition of evil men who are trying to wipe him out. They look to assault him and throw him down. He feels like a ‘leaning wall’, that would probably fall easily when some pressure is put on It, or like a ‘tottering fence’, which is rickety and unstable. That is how he feels against this foe, left to himself. They will happily lie about him as part of their evil attack. Their words seem to be words of blessing, but their hypocritical hearts are cursing while they speak. They need cleansed and new hearts. That is exactly what Jesus Christ gives today to those who turn from wrong in their lives, believe in His atoning death on the cross for them, and trust in Him with all their hearts. Verses 1-8 start and finish with what God is to those who trust in Him. Still today, because Jesus paid the penalty for our sins, if we repent and believe in Him, we find that He takes residence in our hearts by His Holy Spirit. Consider briefly what God does and is to anyone who is saved by such a personal faith in Christ:
- He gives your soul rest now and forever.
- He saves you from sin’s penalty and power now. and from sin’s presence in eternity.
- He is the Rock on which you could and should build your life.
- He is your unshakable fortress and refuge.
- He gives you real and certain hope for the future.
He tells his people to ‘Trust in Him (God) at all times’ and ‘pour out’ their hearts to Him. He can become all that to you too!
(Verse 9) David reminds us that men are nothing compared to God. Highborn or
lowborn, we are all like a passing breath. Life is short: eternity is very long, whether separate from Christ in Hell’s darkness, or present with Him in Heaven’s joyful light.
(Verse 10-12) Hearts which major on increase of material wealth are the losers, especially if that wealth comes from sinful extortion or from theft. In fact, such sins will bring God’s judgment. The Lord will ‘reward each person according to what he has done.’ He is ‘strong’ – far too strong to be deflected from His righteous judgment. He is also ‘loving’: ‘God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life’. (John 3:16) Christ gives all believing in Him ‘eternal life’ now!
