"Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved," literally, "not be greatly shaken, falter, fall, stagger, slip." (Ps. 62:1, 2)
Only the soul who lives that Jesus, "only is my rock," that Jesus only, "is...my salvation," that Jesus only, "is my defense," and because of such confidence knows that, "I shall not be greatly moved," only that, "soul silently waits for God...." Otherwise, there will be much "screaming."
Today you and I will have a continual need for, "salvation," which in the Hebrew means literally, "deliverance, help, prosperity, security, victories." If there is to be peace within, if there is to be silence in my soul, it is only in my absolute confidence that no matter what comes my way, I will, "silently wait[] for God...." There will be clamoring; there will be confusion around us, as Paul says, there will be times when we experience, "outside were conflicts, inside were fears." Yet in it all, if my soul is rooted in Jesus, "Truly my soul silently waits for God."
As I read this Psalm this month, I realized again that this is exactly what was going on in me 44 years ago when we lost Stephen. I could not pray; I could not reason, so I went to the Bible, His Words which empowered me. But as I sat there reading for hours, I came to realize that my soul, in despair and seemingly void of life was, "silently wait[ing] for God...." It wasn't a noble endeavor, nor strength of spirituality. It was, however, something deep within me, perhaps the Holy Spirit, Who was working in me that which had been sown in my life from a very young child by a very committed Follower of Jesus, my Dad, Kenneth Barnette. He preached Jesus Christ in the Bible. His Bible studies were Jesus Christ in the Bible. He had a man in one of his parishes make a plaque and put in on the pulpit lectern. The words on the plaque were from John's Gospel, "We Would See Jesus." Yes, all this had to become "mine" for the deliverance to come, but I realize today, perhaps more than ever, just how much you and I owe to people who have sown the things of Jesus into our lives.
When there are unanswered prayers, suffering all around you, and you, family, and friends are going through great trials, I pray today's text is written in your mind and heart, "Truly my soul silently waits for God," the Living Triune God, Who in Jesus Christ is our salvation, our rock, our defense. If this is true of you and me, then be assured, "[We] shall not be greatly moved."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I affirm with David, "Truly my soul silently waits for [You]." Amen.
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Please say a prayer for our upcoming late Winter Mission
Only the soul who lives that Jesus, "only is my rock," that Jesus only, "is...my salvation," that Jesus only, "is my defense," and because of such confidence knows that, "I shall not be greatly moved," only that, "soul silently waits for God...." Otherwise, there will be much "screaming."
Today you and I will have a continual need for, "salvation," which in the Hebrew means literally, "deliverance, help, prosperity, security, victories." If there is to be peace within, if there is to be silence in my soul, it is only in my absolute confidence that no matter what comes my way, I will, "silently wait[] for God...." There will be clamoring; there will be confusion around us, as Paul says, there will be times when we experience, "outside were conflicts, inside were fears." Yet in it all, if my soul is rooted in Jesus, "Truly my soul silently waits for God."
As I read this Psalm this month, I realized again that this is exactly what was going on in me 44 years ago when we lost Stephen. I could not pray; I could not reason, so I went to the Bible, His Words which empowered me. But as I sat there reading for hours, I came to realize that my soul, in despair and seemingly void of life was, "silently wait[ing] for God...." It wasn't a noble endeavor, nor strength of spirituality. It was, however, something deep within me, perhaps the Holy Spirit, Who was working in me that which had been sown in my life from a very young child by a very committed Follower of Jesus, my Dad, Kenneth Barnette. He preached Jesus Christ in the Bible. His Bible studies were Jesus Christ in the Bible. He had a man in one of his parishes make a plaque and put in on the pulpit lectern. The words on the plaque were from John's Gospel, "We Would See Jesus." Yes, all this had to become "mine" for the deliverance to come, but I realize today, perhaps more than ever, just how much you and I owe to people who have sown the things of Jesus into our lives.
When there are unanswered prayers, suffering all around you, and you, family, and friends are going through great trials, I pray today's text is written in your mind and heart, "Truly my soul silently waits for God," the Living Triune God, Who in Jesus Christ is our salvation, our rock, our defense. If this is true of you and me, then be assured, "[We] shall not be greatly moved."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I affirm with David, "Truly my soul silently waits for [You]." Amen.
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Please say a prayer for our upcoming late Winter Mission
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
