God of Strength, God of Lovingkindness

“For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, my defense and my fortress; I shall not be greatly moved…God has spoken once, twice have I heard this, that power belongs to God. Also to You, O Lord, belong mercy and loving-kindness, for You render to every man according to his work.” –Psalm 62:1-2; 11-12 (The Amplified Bible. Read Psalm 62).

David wrote Psalm 62, another in the “Confidence Psalms” category when he was king of Israel. He dedicated it to the chief musician, Jeduthun, also called Ethan, the noted musician. This psalm was probably sung or chanted in worship as people gathered to praise and adore God. It is also a Psalm for private worship.

The Psalm is a marvelous testimony to the worshiper’s dependence on God and God’s worthiness of the worshiper’s praise. When we go into our churches to worship, do we prepare our minds, as did David, by thanking God for who He is? Do we recognize Him as the Provider of our salvation? Is he our only Rock, our Tower of Defense and our Fortress? This recognition of God is in both verses 2 and 6 in this Psalm. Recall that when a statement is repeated again in close proximity within the scripture, it is considered as highly important and worthy of our notice. Indeed, God is “my rock and my salvation; He is my defense and my fortress; I shall not be moved.”

It is significant to me that King David saw God not only as his strong defense and fortress, and the One to whom all power belongs (v. 11), but also He is a God of mercy and loving-kindness. God the Rock is the Lord of Love, the God of mercy. Eugene H. Peterson in The Message Bible translates verse 12 in this way: "Love to you, Lord God! You pay a fair wage for a good day’s work!”

Reading the Confidence Psalms can build up our own spiritual strength and aid us through the “everydayness” of life. Everything we need comes from God. He is all sufficient and giving. But we, as His children, must depend upon Him. We can’t go out on our own and hope to conquer the enemies that assail on every hand. “God, the One and Only…He’s solid rock under my feet…I’m set for life.” (v. 5-6, Peterson).

c Ethelene Dyer Jones; Thursday, June 10, 2010