Rest in God

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:

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.” (Psalm 62, NIV)

REFLECTIONS:

“Truly my soul finds rest in God” (verse 1). This experience of the psalmist is something we all long for. I'm convinced that every single one of us yearns to be “at rest”—peaceful, content, settled, centered. But, from the looks of things, most of us have no idea how to consistently experience this “restful” state of mind and heart. Thankfully, this psalm contains three assurances that will help us find and experience “rest in God.” 

God is our Salvation (verse 2). David refers to salvation not from sin but from danger. “Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken” (verse 2). David’s enemies were pursuing him as usual. Saul was trying to kill him as usual. And yet David says, “I’m going to wait on the Lord. I’m not going to run around and lose control of myself. I’m going to wait on the Lord because my salvation comes from him.” David didn't operate according to the world's way of thinking. He didn't make alliances with foreign kings or seek help from mercenaries, as was the common practice in those days. David didn't try to take things into his own hands. On two separate occasions, David could have taken Saul's life (1 Samuel 24 and 26). But, he refused to manipulate the situation or take matters into his own hands. David trusted in God to not only protect his life, but to direct his steps throughout the daily adventure of life. Even though Saul was trying to kill him, David continued to honor Saul precisely because he was the Lord's anointed. He trusted God enough to honor God's purpose and plan for Saul's life. He knew that somehow, someway, God would remove Saul from the throne just as he had promised. David knew that his salvation came from God, so he rested in God to fulfill his plan—in his own time and his own way.

The same is true for us today. We live in a dangerous world. We never know what may be just around the corner, but we have the assurance that God is our Rock and our Defense.

God is our Expectation (verse 5). Where do you look for your expectation? To yourself, your wallet, your checkbook, your friends? Where do you look when the future seems bleak and dark? David looked to God. “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him” (verse 5). And, why does David state that his hope comes from God? Because God has proven himself faithful. “Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken” (verse 6). David looked to his past. He remembered all the ways that God had previously protected and rescued him. Because God had always been faithful in the past, David was able to move forward in life with a confident assurance that God would continue faithfully protecting his life (1 Samuel 17:32-37). Because we had already experienced God's deliverance, David expected God to continue establishing his ways. His heart was at peace because he knew his life was in God's hands.

It's the same for us today. When we are assailed by fear and doubt, we would be wise to look to the past and reflect on God's faithful salvation. It would do us a world of good to reflect on the many ways, God has previously proven himself faithful to protect and provide. Reflecting on God's faithfulness in the past breeds peace, hope, and encouragement for today and beyond.

God is our Vindication (verse 12). It relieves us of a great deal of pressure and burden to know that we are not judges but witnesses. We are not here to vindicate ourselves. Our vindication comes from God, “who ‘will repay each person according to what they have done’” (Romans 2:6). God sees and knows our thoughts. He understands the secret intentions of our heart. He perceives all the hidden details surrounding our actions and decisions. Other people tend to judge us based on what they see with their eyes or hear with their ears. Because their judgments are based on externals, they often judge unjustly. Heck, sometimes we even judge ourselves unjustly. We listen to the lies of the enemy and condemn ourselves. But, thankfully, our God “judges” in a totally different way. “We know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything” (1 John 3:20). The Lord “looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7) and judges with righteousness and equity (Psalm 98:9). Because of this, our hearts can be at peace because we know that there is “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Despite the condemnation of those around us, despite the accusations of our enemy, despite the guilt of our own heart, we can be at peace because we know that the Spirit that we received by faith in Jesus has “brought about our adoption to sonship.” And the Spirit empowers us to cry out: “Abba, Father.” No matter what the other voices surrounding us may say, we have received the Spirit who testifies with our spirit that we are God's beloved children (Romans 8:14-17). As sons and daughters of the living God, we can be at peace. We can rest in our new identity and know that any act performed from a place of authentic faith will be rewarded.

Today, as you face difficulties with people or things or circumstances, wait on the Lord. Encourage your soul to find rest in God. From him come your salvation, your expectation, and your vindication.

POINT TO PONDER:

In troubled times, how often do you first look to yourself or others for answers before looking to God? If you look to God and wait for him, he will see you through. Put God first and wait for him to act on your behalf.

WHO AM I?

I am Tres Sansom, and I apologize to our e-mail subscribers. Apparently, there's some sort of a problem with the blogspot's e-mail distributor, so the devotionals haven't been viewable by e-mail. I've been working to get this issue resolved, so hopefully we'll get things straightened out in short order.