Feb 5 2019 Psalm 62

For God alone, my soul in silence waits. 

I’m not normally a fan of poetry. Someone needs to explain allusions and metaphors; like my dad, I’m a pretty concrete thinker. But sometimes, writing reaches my soul in ways that my logical mind cannot. Psalms sometimes do that. 

Today’s psalm does. It speaks of all sorts of trials and tribulations. People who bless you with their lips but curse you in their hearts. Lies are their chief delight. Don’t fret about the people who mean to do harm. Instead, in silence, wait for God alone. 

It talks about all sorts of things we experience that can either harm us, or lull us into thinking they’re worthy of our faith or fear. Extortion. Robbery. Even wealth, and people in high places. But it says these are all fleeting. Instead, in silence, wait for God alone.
It repeats this line, “For God alone, my soul in silence waits,” like a refrain. That’s because like a refrain, it fits in all of these situations. When you’re troubled by others, wait for God. When there’s too much noise and distraction, wait silently on God. When there other things to woo our affections and loyalty and trust, wait only for God. 

This is a great refrain, for almost any day, any circumstance.
Some days I need to remember that God alone is where I should place my trust and hope. Not my own merits, not the behavior of others, not good graces of others. God alone. 

Some days, the noise and distractions result in me chasing every shiny new thing. Too busy to pray. Too tired to sit still. Too scheduled for waiting. Waiting and silence are often seen as an enemy of my busy, noisy life. But they aren’t. Silence is golden, and waiting can be luxurious. In silence, my soul waits.
Today, and always. For God alone, my soul in silence waits.