Sometimes my soul needs to be reminded of something it already knows.
Apparently, David’s did too.
Psalm 62 begins with a declaration:
“For God alone my soul waits in silence.”
Then, only a few verses later, David says it again—but this time he seems to be speaking directly to himself:
“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence.”
I understand that.
Sometimes knowing something and actually living like I know it are two very different things.
I know God is faithful.
I know He is my refuge.
I know He is stronger than whatever I’m facing.
And yet when trouble comes, I can still find myself worrying, planning, replaying possibilities, and trying to hold everything together myself.
Maybe that’s why I love what David does here.
He reminds his own soul where its rest is found.
God alone.
Today’s Saving Grace of God
Psalm 62:1–2, 5–8 (ESV)
“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.”
“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.”
Setting the Scene
Psalm 62 is a psalm of David, written in the middle of opposition.
People are attacking him. Lies are being spoken. Those around him may bless outwardly while inwardly plotting against him.
David has plenty of reasons to feel unsettled.
But instead of spending the entire psalm describing his enemies, David keeps returning to God.
My rock.
My salvation.
My fortress.
My refuge.
And twice he uses an important word:
Alone.
“For God alone my soul waits in silence.”
“He alone is my rock and my salvation.”
David isn’t saying that nothing difficult is happening.
Quite the opposite.
He’s declaring that none of those things gets the final say over the condition of his soul.
Then something beautiful happens between verses 2 and 6.
At first David says:
“I shall not be greatly shaken.”
A few verses later, after reminding his own soul to wait for God alone:
“I shall not be shaken.”
Whether David intended that subtle difference as a progression or not, I can’t help noticing it.
The circumstances haven’t disappeared.
But David keeps preaching truth to his own soul.
And his confidence rests increasingly in his God.
Reflection
Personally, I usually need to be told the important things several times before they finally stick.
Sometimes several hundred.
So I appreciate David repeating himself. 😂
For a long time, trusting God didn’t come naturally to me.
Neither did peace.
My first instinct when life went sideways was often to jump straight to fear, worry, or despair rather than immediately running to my Savior.
And when I first began seeking God, I didn’t suddenly transform into someone who spent hours studying Scripture every day.
I simply started opening my Bible instead of letting it gather dust on my nightstand.
Some weeks I reached for it only a few times.
Then those few times became more frequent.
The more I learned about God, the more I wanted to know Him.
And somewhere along the way, something began changing.
When the hard knocks came calling, I started reaching for Jesus more often.
Not perfectly.
Not every single time.
But more often.
And I began finding something there I hadn’t been able to manufacture for myself:
Rest.
That’s what I see David doing in this Psalm.
He’s not pretending everything is fine.
He’s reminding himself where to go because everything isn’t fine.
“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence.”
Sometimes our souls need us to speak truth back to them.
God is still here.
He is still faithful.
He is still my rock.
He is still my salvation.
He is still my refuge.
And then David moves beyond himself.
After reminding his own soul where to rest, he turns outward:
“Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.”
I love that he says pour out your heart.
Not clean it up first.
Not organize your thoughts into a respectable prayer.
Not pretend you’re less scared, angry, confused, hurt, or exhausted than you really are.
Pour it out.
God already knows what’s in there.
Our refuge isn’t found in pretending we’re okay.
Our refuge is found in Him.
And perhaps that’s one of the beautiful things that happens as we learn to rest in God ourselves.
Eventually, we can turn to someone else who is struggling and say:
I know where you can go too.
Short Prayer
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! Thank You.
Thank You for patiently teaching my heart where true rest is found. Thank You for every time Your Word has reminded me that You are my rock, my salvation, my fortress, and my refuge—even when I have needed to hear it over and over again.
Lord, when my first instinct is fear instead of faith, remind my soul where to go. When I try to carry everything myself, teach me to put it down and pour out my heart before You. I don’t want to run first to worry, control, or despair. I want to run to You.
And when I find rest in Your presence, help me point someone else toward that same refuge.
You alone are my rock and my salvation.
Let my soul learn to rest there.
In Jesus’ precious name, I pray. Amen.
Reflection Question
When life becomes difficult, where does my soul instinctively run for security—and what would it look like to remind myself today, “God alone is my refuge”?
Closing Encouragement
David didn’t find rest because his enemies disappeared.
He found rest because he remembered who his God was.
And when his soul needed reminding, he reminded it again:
God alone.
My rock.
My salvation.
My fortress.
My refuge.
So when your soul feels shaken, you don’t have to pretend otherwise.
Pour out your heart.
Tell God everything.
And then remind your soul where it can safely rest.
“God is a refuge for us.”
Helpful Daily Resources
- Read the full chapter on Bible.com ~ Psalm 62
- Enjoy Bible.com ~ Verse of the Day
- Try Bible.com ~ Bible Recap: Read the Bible in a Year Plan