Year 2, Day 206: Psalm 62

Psalm 62

The opening verses of Psalm 62 brings comfort.  The Lord is my rock, my salvation, and my fortress.  In Him I will not be shaken.  What a powerful statement!

Yesterday I opened with an extended analogy of the road map, and I enjoyed the mental pursuit of that analogy.  Today as I thought about the rock, salvation, and fortress ideas I thought about a lighthouse.  Lighthouses are typically built on the edge of shore where the ocean meets rock.  Time and time again I have watched waves crest and break upon the rocks.  Time and time again I have watched the lighthouse stand under the relentless assault of the waves.

God is like that lighthouse that stands regardless of whether it is the ocean, rain, sleet, or snow that is battering it.  In Him – like the lighthouse – there is salvation from the world around us.  He guides us to safety and salvation.  God is indeed good.

As I hit verse 5, I find an incredible challenge as I often do in psalms of praise.  The words are tough.  For God alone my soul waits in silence.  Is this true of me?  Is God my ultimate desire for which I wait?  Is God the thing in my life that brings the most pleasure to me?

These are challenging questions.  These are questions for which I know what my answer should be: “Yes!” 

But then I also have to look at my life.  How many hours do I spend on various internet pursuits yearning for attention?  Do I crave attention more than God?  Or how many hours do I spend escaping life by pursuing things like video games or television?  Do I crave an escape from life more than I crave God?

Of course, we all need our escapes.  We all need our moments of down time.  We all need a vacation.  We all need our hobbies that help us focus on something besides the main goal for a time.  My fear is not that I have distractions – for distractions actually help us focus stronger when the time for focusing is needed.  My concern is making sure the distractions don’t become so strong that they actually become the focus.  That’s where danger rests.  When we put something else higher than God in our prioritization structure we will have trouble.

Then we come to the end of this psalm.  David reminds us that both the low and high in stature are but a fleeting experience on this earth.  What is wealth compared to the love of God?  What is power compared to God’s power?  What is stature compared to being a part of the family of God?  What is control next to relying upon God to be in control?

These also are challenging questions.  We as human beings pursue so many things that God can offer in greater quantities if we are just willing to pursue Him instead of these things.  For me, I believe this is the lesson for the day.  When I put my mind on pursuing Him, He will deliver to me what I really need, not what I desire.

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