Teaching Grace

    For God alone my soul waits in silence;
        from him comes my salvation.
     He only is my rock and my salvation,
        my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.

    How long will all of you attack a man
        to batter him,
        like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
     They only plan to thrust him down from his high position.
        They take pleasure in falsehood.
    They bless with their mouths,
        but inwardly they curse. Selah

    For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,
        for my hope is from him.
     He only is my rock and my salvation,
        my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
     On God rests my salvation and my glory;
        my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

    Trust in him at all times, O people;
        pour out your heart before him;
        God is a refuge for us. Selah

    Those of low estate are but a breath;
        those of high estate are a delusion;
    in the balances they go up;
        they are together lighter than a breath.
     Put no trust in extortion;
        set no vain hopes on robbery;
        if riches increase, set not your heart on them.

    Once God has spoken;
        twice have I heard this:
    that power belongs to God,
         and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.
    For you will render to a man
        according to his work.
 (Psalm 62 ESV)

The context of the Psalm is a stressed-out David. His enemies are wearing on him with their constant duplicity and hypocrisy. His ability to keep up under the burden is growing thin.

But he waits before the LORD in silence. Like Christ, when the pressures of life get him down, David seeks a quite place to simply sit in silence before God.

David confesses that he is weak but his God is strong. God alone is his salvation, his rock, and his refuge. This is the confession of true faith. Those that truly know God know that they bring nothing to the table. God alone is their salvation. They are totally helpless and left completely in his hands. This is what grace means.

David encourages the people to pour out their hearts before the Lord. This beautiful imagery hearkens back to the ancient practice of drink offerings. In the Old Testament the believers would take their best grains, oil, water, wine and pour them out onto the ground in front of God as an offering to him. Nothing was left in the bowl. It was poured out completely to God. God doesn't want us to fix everything in our life before coming to him. He wants us to bring all the contents of our burdened and weary hearts and pour it out entirely before Him. He desires that all that is in us becomes entirely his. Keep nothing back.

Whether we are "successful" in this life means nothing to God. Both those that are rich and poor are as heavy as a breath of wind. All of life without God quickly passes and waifs away.

But God has spoken! The beautiful and amazing truth of Christianity is that God has spoken. We are not left without a way to find God, because God has found us. God through his speaking has communicated to us. He has spoken to us through his Word, the Logos, Christ Jesus. Finding God is no longer a mystery. God is found in Jesus.

And Jesus showed the world the power and steadfast love of God. Through the self-sacrificing love that defeating sin on the cross and death in the resurrection, God has given us a certain and unshakable foundation for hope.

The enemies of death, sin, and spiritual darkness were defeated on the cross, and Christ is coming to destroy them completely. Justice and renewal are coming. They are assured. Come quickly Lord Jesus!