SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
3/21/2012 9:40:49 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
Trusting only in the Lord
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Psalm
62
Message
of the verses: “Whether Absalom’s
rebellion is the setting or not (2Sam. 15-18), David writes this psalm while
facing treason from someone. David faces
the problem of his adversaries forthrightly (vv. 3, 4), but his thoughts focus
primarily on God (cf. Phil. 4:4-13).” (John MacArthur Study Bible)
“This psalm may have come out of
David’s trial when his son Absalom sought the throne (vv.3-4), but it also may
have been written while David was ruling over Judah in Hebron (2Sam. 1-4).
Those were difficult years as the forces of Saul tried to continue his dynasty
and dethrone God’s anointed king. (For
‘Jeduthun,’ see Ps. 39, and note how the note the two psalms parallel each
other in a number of ways.) In this
psalm, David shows remarkable faith as he rests in God alone (vv. 1, 2, 5, 6)
and trusts Him to defeat the enemy and restore peace to the lane. Three powerful truths emerge from his experience.” (Warren Wiersbe)
God
Alone Saves Us (vv. 1-4): “1 For the
choir director; according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David: My soul waits in silence for God only; From
Him is my salvation. 2 He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I
shall not be greatly shaken. 3 How long will you assail a man, That you may
murder him, all of you, Like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence? 4 They
have counseled only to thrust him down from his high position; They delight in
falsehood; They bless with their mouth, But inwardly they curse. Selah.”
1 For Jeduthun, the choir director: A psalm of David. I wait quietly before
God, for my victory comes from him. 2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my
fortress where I will never be shaken. 3 So many enemies against one man-all of
them trying to kill me. To them I’m just a broken-down wall or a tottering
fence. 4 They plan to topple me from my high position. They delight in telling lies about me. They
praise me to my face but curse me in their hearts. Interlude” (NLT)
I have mentioned in past SD’s how
much I admire David, and when I read what the Bible tells about David’s life in
the books of 1 & 2 Samuel along with 1Chronicles I only see one part of
David’s life, but when I read the psalms that David wrote that go along with
the different challenges and circumstances that he went through I learn much more
about who David is and why God stated that David was a man after God’s own
heart.
I have also mentioned that there are
times when I read the commentary of Warren Wiersbe that my heart is so blessed,
and many of those times when I am blessed by his commentaries is because I find
myself in a situation that is helped by his words and also in this case by the
words of David too.
In this first section I find myself
blessed and will quote some of the things that Warren Wiersbe writes about
these four verses. First I want to point
out what we find in this psalm and also in others that when David was facing
troubles that his trust and faith was in God alone and that is a very important
thing to remember when one is going through troubles that is to trust completely
in God for the answer. Dr. Wiersbe
writes “David wants us to know that his faith isn’t in God plus something else,
but in God alone. Yes, God uses means to
accomplish His work, and the same God who ordains the end also ordains the means,
but our faith is in Him and not in the means.
David didn’t argue
with the enemy or try to tell God what to do; he simply prayed, trusted and
waited, knowing that God would give him the kingdom in His good time…The
enemy could threaten him, lie about him, and even assault him, and he would not
lose the peace God put in his heart. To
wait in silence before the Lord is not idleness or inactivity. It is calm worship and faith, resting in His
greatness and submitted to His will. It is preparation for the time
when God gives the orders to act (Ps. 18:30-45).”
God
Alone encourages Us (vv. 5-8): “5 My
soul, wait in silence for
God only, For my hope is from Him. 6 He only is my rock and my
salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken. 7 On God my salvation and my
glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. 8 Trust in Him at all
times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah.”
We see in verse two David writes “I
shall not be greatly shaken” and then in verse six we see that David writes “I
shall not be shaken.” David’s faith and
trust has grown more in the Lord as he pens this psalm. Perhaps by just writing it and thinking of the
words that he has written was that which made his faith grow more in the
Lord.
When we go through difficult
circumstances we find that many times we have to wait on the Lord and as we see
from the first section that this waiting can be turned into worship as we seek
the Lord to guide us through these difficult times and to teach us what it is
that He wants us to learn. Life is a school, a school in
which there are tests and the tests are hard to pass at times. When we find ourselves in difficult circumstances
and are waiting on the Lord we should not be afraid to ask others to pray for
us, for we see in 1Thess. 5:25; 2Thess. 31 that the apostle Paul writes these
words “Pray for us.” Prayer is one of
the most important things we can do. We
see in the Gospels that Jesus prayed to His Father on many occasions and when
He was about to chose His apostles Jesus stayed up all night praying. Verse eight shows us the importance of prayer
in the life of David as he seeks others to trust in the Lord at all times.
Dr. Wiersbe writes the following about God’s delays: God’s delays are not God’s denials, but our
impatience can be used by the devil to lead us on dangerous and destructive
detours.”
God
Alone Rewards Us (vv. 9-12): “9 Men
of low degree are only vanity and men of rank are a lie; In the balances they
go up; They are together lighter than breath. 10 Do not trust in oppression And
do not vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, do not set your heart upon them. 11 Once God
has spoken; Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God; 12 And lovingkindness is
Yours, O Lord, For You
recompense a man according to his work.”
“9
Common people are as worthless as a puff of wind, and the powerful are not what
they appear to be. If you weigh them on the scales, together they are lighter
than a breath of air. 10 Don’t make your living by extortion or put your hope
in stealing. And if your wealth increases, don’t make it the center of your
life. 11 God has spoken plainly, and I
have heard it many times: Power, O God, belongs to you; 12 unfailing love, O Lord, is yours. Surely you
repay all people according to what they have done.” (NLT)
As
I read this section of Psalm 62 it reminds me in many ways like something that
I would read in the book of Proverbs for it speaks about what riches can do to
a man and also speaks of how empty and weightless men really are without the
Lord. I believe that we can see that
David had the right perspective on riches and that is that we are stewards of
the Lord has given to us, for the Lord own everything, we are not to trust in
our riches, we are not to trust in the gifts of the Giver, but in the Giver of
the gifts. Dr. Wiersbe writes “How
tragic when God’s people today put their trust in their wealth, positions, and
human abilities and not in the God who alone can give blessings.”
We
see in the words from the NLT “I have heard it many times” from verse eleven,
speaking of how often David had heard these words and the lessons they carried
were written on his hearts. The lessons
I am speaking of are about the faultiness of riches. We are to trust in God for God is merciful
and God is all powerful, so it is much better to trust in the Lord than in
riches. Dr. Wiersbe writes “No matter
what people may say about us or to us, God keeps the books and one day will
give sinners and saints the rewards they deserve. ‘And each on will receive his own reward
according to his own labor.’ (2Cor.
3:8)”
Spiritual meaning for my life
today: I suppose that trusting in money and music
that is sung in the church are two difficult problems that a believer will face
in his life. I am not saying that there
are not other challenges like sickness, but it seems to me that Satan can use
these two things along with sex (mostly for men) to tempt believers into not
trusting in the Lord and getting off the path that He wants us to be on.
My Steps of Faith for Today:
Remember that at times the battle is tough, and I am in need of the
spiritual armor, and I must also remember that waiting is also hard, but
waiting on the Lord and trusting only in Him is worship to Him. Waiting on the Lord also produces
contentment, but I must remember that all of this has to be done through the
power of the Holy Spirit who lives in me to guide and direct me every day.
3/21/2012
11:07:47 AM
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