Wait in Silence

I don't know about any of you, but I certainly had a crazy week (one of those weeks where you just can't seem to find a minute to get your head straight!). As one of the things I'm focusing on this year is resting in the Lord, I was looking for some good verses to help me get in the resting mood and I found Psalm 62:

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

I love so many things about this, and in the spirit of resting, I won't go on for ages, but a few quick things I like:

-Resting requires Waiting. "Waiting in silence" is also translated to rest in translations (NIV), and let me tell you, when I am crazy busy, being patient and waiting in the last thing I want to do. I want to get done what I want done now. I like the idea that finding rest in the Lord requires putting aside our current desires and being patient in the Lord. So resting requires patience.

-Resting requires realizing truths about the Lord. Such as: God is our protector, rock and fortress. God is our salvation. God is our glory.

-Resting requires acting on those truths about the Lord by trusting in Him first and pouring out our hearts to Him. Just gonna say it: you're probably not feeling very restful if you haven't had some good real talk with God lately. 

-Resting requires not trusting in riches, exertion or other earthly things. 

-Resting requires realizing truths about the Lord. I know just said this one, but I can't emphasize it enough. I think it's significant how the psalm ends: by emphasizing that we need to trust in the Lord's power and in His steadfast love to find rest. 

As one that likes a jam packed calendar scheduled hour by hour, learning how to rest is something that I have to work at (hopefully, some of the rest of you are with me on this one!). So, my prayer for us all on this long weekend is that we would practice: 

Take some time to rest and wait in silence for the Lord.