Trusting God
Psalm 62
1Truly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation.
2 He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.
3 How long will you attack a man? You shall be slain, all of you, Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence.
4 They only consult to cast him down from his high position; They delight in lies; They bless with their mouth, But they curse inwardly. Selah
5 My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved.
7 In 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, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah
9 Surely men of low degree are a vapor, Men of high degree are a lie; If they are weighed on the scales, They are altogether lighter than vapor.
10 Do not trust in oppression, Nor vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, Do not set your heart on them.
11 God has spoken once, Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God.
12 Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; For You render to each one according to his work. NKJV_
Seven Steps for Trusting God as We Mature in Our Spiritual Lives
By Dr. Woodrow Kroll
Introduction:
Aging is an issue we all face, for every day takes us closer to the last day of our lives.
Will God be faithful to us in the end of life as He was in the early part of life?
More importantly, will we be faithful to Him?
Psalm 62 gives us David’s seven-step program for trusting God as we age.
1. Wait Silently Before God Each Day (v. 1).
Ps 62:1 Truly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation. NKJV
Spend time every day in silence before God. I’m interested in that phrase “wait silently.”
It’s the same Hebrew term as in Leviticus 10:3 about Aaron after the death of his two sons.
The older we get, the more difficult it is to get into the habit of spending time with God each day.
So, if you’re moving toward old age (and we all are), the first step is to wait silently before God every day.
That means you’re not going to complain to God when things don’t go the way you think they should.
You’re going to hang on and let God do His work.
All this depends on how much you trust the character of God (v. 5b). God is our expectation.
2. Cling to Something that Doesn’t Change (vv. 2–6).
Ps 62:2 He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense;
I shall not be greatly moved. 3 How long will you attack a man?
You shall be slain, all of you, Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence.
4 They only consult to cast him down from his high position; They delight in lies; They bless with their mouth, But they curse inwardly.
5 My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; NKJV
When things are rapidly changing around you, you need to cling to something that doesn’t change.
It’s like holding on to a bar or a tree or something when you’re in the middle of a windstorm. You have to hang on to something that isn’t going to change.
God is our rock. As things change around you, think of His faithfulness.
Cling to Him because He is the One you can trust in the middle of the storm.
The storm comes in older age with regard to pain. It comes with regard to the loss of friends or family members.
The issues of age can be a great deterrent to faith, but faith can be a great deterrent to the issues of age.
3. Don’t Be Shaken in Your Faith (vv. 3–7).
Ps 62:3 How long will you attack a man? You shall be slain, all of you, Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence.
4 They only consult to cast him down from his high position; They delight in lies; They bless with their mouth, But they curse inwardly.
5 My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him. 6 He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved.
7 In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength,
And my refuge, is in God. NKJV
Maybe you’ve lost the dearest on earth to you.
You’re living alone now and asking yourself, “Has God abandoned me?
I’m worried about the kids because they don’t seem worried about me.” Suddenly, you find yourself shaken in your faith like an old shed tottering in the wind.
Take time every day to be silent before the Lord and let Him minister to you.
While you’re doing that, hold on to God. Cling to Him as you would cling to a rock wall in a storm.
While you’re doing that, don’t be shaken in your faith. That’s difficult advice, but good advice.
Confidence is always the antidote to the jitters. Where you’re shaken in your faith, confidence in God is the answer.
Verse 7 says God is our salvation, glory, rock, and refuge.
4. Trust Him at All Times (v. 8).
Ps 62:8 Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. NKJV
Learn to trust God in every issue you face. Some of the issues we face in aging are different and more difficult than the issues we faced when we were younger.
But trust God at all times. We trust God when we have confidence in His character to do what He has promised to do. Learn to trust God regardless of what comes to your life.
5. Pour Out Your Heart to Him (v. 8).
Ps 62:8 Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. NKJV
What does this mean? We have good examples in the stories of Hannah who poured out her burden in the tabernacle, and Hezekiah who spread out a threatening letter in the temple. It means being purposeful and passionate in prayer.
6. Don’t Let Money Ruin Your Old Age (v. 10).
Ps 62:9 Surely men of low degree are a vapor, Men of high degree are a lie; If they are weighed on the scales, They are altogether lighter than vapor.
10 Do not trust in oppression, Nor vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, Do not set your heart on them. NKJV
At verse 10, David changed the subject dramatically and began talking about money. Isn’t this an aging issue? Most people think it’s the lack of money that ruins their golden years, but David said, “If riches increase, do not set your heart on them” (see 1 Tim. 6:17ff).
7. Keep Working for Heavenly Rewards (v. 12).
Ps 62:11 God has spoken once, Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God.
12 Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; For You render to each one according to his work. NKJV
The last thing David has to say in Psalm 62 is, “Don’t let up on earning heavenly rewards just because you’re getting older.” Work doesn’t stop at retirement. There are still things I can do, and there is still work for me to do. As long as I’m alive and have breath, there is something I can contribute to the kingdom of God.
Conclusion:
I have to make sure everything I do has eternal benefit or there’s no reason for me to do it. That’s why I think we start every day at the Judgment Seat and work backwards from there. God can be trusted when we’re eighty or ninety just as much as when we’re eight or nine or eighteen or nineteen. Those of us who walk with Him age gracefully as we prepare for our eternal reward.
Pray for our nation
Scott (my visit)
Butlers - family needs – Nellie – Hospice
Jean & Ted Pysik (Continued strengthening)
Harold’s Leg – doing better – Marg’s Memory and protection
Dick’s Mom
Robbie Jones
Dom’s sister-in-law Emilie
Jerry Wagner – that he will find the Lord
Stephaney’s son
Ethan Marconi -
MISSIONARIES
Steve & Sabrina –
McMillan – land cleaned – land is paid for – start of new church
Dave & Martha – back – Dave teaching Martha traveling and working on Dr. degree.
Danylak –
McCarthy – Kyle - Lupus
Rich and Ann -
Faulkners – pastor in the work – part-time workers
OUR SHUT INS—
Mary Spencer – eyes --- Bill Piarno, --- Irene Zimmerman