What does it mean for the soul to wait for God in silence?
The Psalms surge with emotional expressions, communicating deep feelings of joy or despair. They provide a pattern for expressing universal human emotions to a God who hears and answers prayer. But Psalm 62 speaks of waiting for God in silence. Why does the psalmist speak about a silent soul, when he so often talks about pouring out his heart to God?
The first two verses of the psalm say:
For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken (ESV).
The psalmist submissively puts his trust in the One and Only True God. He alone provides salvation and protection.
Charles Spurgeon, in his Treasury of David, points out how Psalm 62 emphasizes the only God and says about this first verse: “The presence of God alone could awe his heart into quietude, submission, rest, and acquiescence; but when that was felt, not a rebellious word or thought broke the peaceful silence.” And, “No eloquence in the world is half so full of meaning as the patient silence of a child of God.”
When my soul waits for the Lord in silence, I no longer murmur or grumble. Without complaint, I submit my stubborn and rebellious self-will to his loving and almighty divine will.
And why shouldn’t I? God alone is the source of salvation. He alone is my shelter and protector. Secure in him, I will not tremble.
Verses 3 & 4 depict the psalmist’s crisis:
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 (ESV)
David evidently wrote this psalm during a period when deceptive hypocrites sought his downfall. We all have times when we feel such attacks, either from specific people or general forces. But David reiterates his submissive trust in God alone:
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 (verses 5-7, ESV).
These verses replicate the first two, adding references to hope and glory. Repetition emphasizes the Only God as our only hope.
David urges everyone to trust in God at all times (verse 8, ESV):
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah
He assures us that a silent soul doesn’t mean a silent heart. We may still express our deepest feelings to the Lord, while we trust in him with a submissive spirit.
We must not trust in people or possessions:
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 (verses 9 & 10).
Poor or rich, every individual lives only for a brief time with limited influence. A short human life is like a breath or delusion that quickly passes away. Extortion or robbery may bring temporary wealth, but riches–however gained–are a vain hope.
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 (verses 11 & 12, ESV).
As the psalmist has repeated his words in the psalm, God has repeated his promise. He alone is the almighty and loving God. Salvation depends totally on him; we can do nothing to earn or secure it. Yet our work matters. God commands obedience, and those who love him will desire to obey him.
Don’t hesitate to pour out your heart before God. But examine the attitude of your soul. Are you grumbling and complaining about your lot in life? Or are you submitting your stubborn human will to his loving divine will?
Glenda Faye Mathes 