For God alone my soul waits in silence,
for my hope is from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my deliverance and my honor;
my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us.
-Psalm 62:5-8
Take a deep breath and close your eyes. For just a moment, allow yourself to be still and quiet. What do you hear? Birds singing? The wind? Cars driving up and down the street? The clothes tumbling in the dryer? A two-year-old screaming from another room? When was the last time you experienced the sound of true silence?
Anytime I read a passage like today’s Psalm, a sense of longing emerges from the depths of my heart. “For God alone my soul waits in silence.” Doesn’t that sound wonderful? For most of us there is usually just one problem: we don’t want to wait for anything, especially not in silence! We wake up too early to get started on days that are too busy and too stressful. We work too hard and stay up too late before going to bed to start the cycle all over again. For many of us, while the invitation to wait for God in silence might sound nice, we’re so worn out from the days activities to wait for long. Does that sound about right?
Take another deep breath. Sit quietly for just a few more moments. Wait for it. Imagine the rest of your day. What do you still need to do? What has brought you stress today? What are you worrying about? Now imagine yourself climbing on top of a big rock to a quiet place where somehow, all the things you need to do are already done, and you can rest. That rock is the very presence of God, the rock of our salvation. As you journey through the rest of today, do so knowing that you are in His presence. He is your refuge and your fortress. He is able to accomplish all that concerns you today. Trust in him and pour out your whole heart. Sit back, relax, and wait.