Be Still My Soul

After spending a week at the beach, I returned home to the busyness of day to day activities and was left pondering how to capture the stillness on my soul I felt on vacation.  Is peace and tranquility only a consequence of our circumstances?

Sure, it’s easy to feel all the stresses of life flow out of you as you watch the methodical waves crash to shore. But, what about when the dishes are piling up in the sink, the email box is overflowing, the kids need to be in two different places at the same time and you just remembered you forgot to mail a bill that was due yesterday?  What then?

Psalms 62 is a beautiful reminder that peace is possible in the midst of crazy life circumstances.  When we focus on our own expectations, we endure a lot of pressure to succeed.  Psalms 62:5 “My soul, wait thou in silence for God only; for my expectation is from him.”  

What are God’s expectations? Those are the only ones we have to worry about!  The Psalm explains what we are to do and what God is doing.

We are to:

1. Wait in silence (repeated twice)
2. Get our expectations from Him
3. Trust Him
4. Pour out our hearts to Him

He will:

1. Be our Rock (repeated three times)
2. Be our salvation (repeated four times)
3. Be our High Tower (repeated two times)
4. Keep us from being moved (repeated two times)
5. Be our refuge
6. Give us power
7. Be loving to us

We just have to trust God enough to handle the circumstances. What freedom. What stillness in my soul (and brain) when chaos swirls around me.  In the middle of life, I can quietly rest on God. I can let the little ocean waves crash calmly and peacefully in my head while I wait and trust in God.

He doesn’t expect us to work harder, try harder, be better, do more in our own strength. No! He expects us to trust Him. He will direct our steps and in that there is peace and freedom as He gives us strength to do what He calls us to do.  We need to pray – to talk to Him and tell Him what we are facing. Then listen and obey.

Be still and let Him be God. We don’t need to figure everything out. We need to stop striving in our own strength. Let God be God. We don’t have to handle it all and be Super-mom (or dad, or friend – you fill in the blank). God deserves the title of Super.  He made the universe and you and me, after all.  Maybe, just maybe He has a plan and has it all figured out.  So, maybe it’s just time we lay aside our capes and let God be the Super Hero.

 

Psalm 62 

1 My soul waiteth in silence for God only: From him cometh my salvation.² He only is my rock and my salvation: He is my high tower; I shall not be greatly moved.³ How long will ye set upon a man, That ye may slay him, all of you, Like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence?⁴ They only consult to thrust him down from his dignity; They delight in lies; They bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah

⁵ My soul, wait thou in silence for God only; For my expectation is from him.⁶ He only is my rock and my salvation: He is my high tower; I shall not be moved.⁷ With God is my salvation and my glory: The rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.⁸ Trust in him at all times, ye people; Pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah

⁹ Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: In the balances they will go up; They are together lighter than vanity.¹⁰ Trust not in oppression, And become not vain in robbery: If riches increase, set not your heart thereon.¹¹ God hath spoken once, Twice have I heard this, That power belongeth unto God.¹² Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth lovingkindness; For thou renderest to every man according to his work.