Finding Rest: A Reflection on Psalm 62
Psalm 62:5-8
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.
Over the past few weeks my media intake (specifically music streaming) has definitely increased - mostly due to being at home all day, everyday. My hunch is that I’m not alone in this! There have been a few old playlists that I used to listen to frequently, then at some point forgot about, and that have now made their way back into my rotation. Oldies, but goodies!
One song that popped up the other week in my nostalgic Spotify listening was an older worship song: Stuart Townend’s “My Soul Finds Rest,” which is based on Psalm 62. I’ve always loved the song, but had never bothered to specifically read the bible passage it is based on until the most recent listen. What timing!
This Psalm, written by David, provides encouragement to readers by reminding us to put our hope and trust in a loving God. I encourage you to work your way through Psalm 62 and if you feel led, listen to “My Soul Finds Rest” and use both the passage and song as a time of reflection and worship.
I specifically wanted to share Psalm 62:5-8 with you. These verses say:
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.
Here are three little nuggets of truth about God from this passage that have continued to anchor me the past few weeks!
Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. (v5)
During times of uncertainty and anxiety, it is so easy to feel exhausted. Maybe you are physically unable to sleep, staying up thinking about worst case scenarios or mourning the loss of normalcy. Or between juggling all the responsibilities of the current day - working from home, battling loneliness, or headed outside as an essential worker - and you feel exhausted.
David’s words provide us assurance that we find true rest in the Lord. While our bodies may be physically tired and worn down, God (and God alone!) fuels our hearts, giving us spiritual rest.
In Matthew 11:28-29, Jesus says “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
“Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. (v6-7)
I’ve often heard people describe someone important in their life - maybe a parent or family member, or significant other as “their rock.” That person shows up for them! They know they can count on them in difficult and sad times, and that they are there to celebrate in joy-filled moments!
How much more is the Lord our rock? Not only does he consistently do all those things, but he is our salvation - Jesus came and hung on a tree and died, and rose again, so that we might live. If he has conquered death on our behalf, we can rest assured that he will walk alongside us in all our trials, difficulties, disappointments, and similarly celebrate with us in moments of joy and excitement!
Finally, In Verse 8 it says: “Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”
Trust! How easy it is for me to trust and hope in the “good times” - like a rising stock market and economy, secure job, good health, a comfortable life, fun times with friends and family.
The past few weeks - when so many of those good things (and many or all of those things are great things!) are taken away - I’ve been reminded and convicted of the importance of leaning fully into the eternal hope that only Christ provides.
Christ was the suffering servant who empathizes completely with us. We can trust fully in him as he also experienced human suffering and difficulties.
My prayer is that as Christians, we will continue to be formed into people that find our hope and put our trust in the death and resurrection of Christ and not in the temporary and fleeting things of this world.
The final stanza from the worship song I mentioned lyricizes this well:
I’ll set my gaze on God alone
And trust in Him completely;
With every day pour out my soul
And He will prove His mercy.
Though life is but a fleeting breath,
A sigh too brief to measure,
My King has crushed the curse of death
And I am His forever.
Dear Lord, thank you for being a good and gracious father. Thank you for providing us sweet things in life - rest, comfort, friends, family, nourishment, and your word. I pray that we continue to be reminded to put our complete trust in you - that even when things around us seem uncertain and scary, that we know you are a loving God who sent His Son to rescue us. Lord, provide comfort to the hurting, healing to the sick, and continue to teach us to rest in you, trust you, and know that our eternal hope is in you. In all these things we pray, amen.
—Rachel Telljohann