Psalm 62:5–12 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 62:5–12 on biblegateway.com
Verse 5For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him.
Verse 6He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
Verse 7On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.
Verse 8Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah
Verse 9Those of low estate are but a breath, those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath.
Verse 10Put no confidence in extortion, and set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
Verse 11Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God,
Verse 12and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord. For you repay to all according to their work.
Devotion
Lutherans love to sing, “A mighty fortress is our God” especially when the foundations are shaking. Today there is a lot of foundation shaking going on and many people are seeking a place of refuge.
I worked in West Germany after World War II with DP’s, Displaced Persons, and saw how desperate people can become for their own home, for a place that will provide a safe haven. The plight of “displaced” persons still continues today because many feel “homeless,” uprooted, and “misplaced.”
The psalmist says our “soul waits in silence”. Can getting away from noise and turmoil provide the refuge we seek? My wife, Ruth, began the ARC Retreat Center in Stanchfield, Minnesota, after finding refuge on a silent retreat with the Sisters of Grandchamp in Switzerland. I believe many of the thousands who have been on retreat at ARC since its beginning in 1977 have found in the silence of the ARC woods the refuge and home they were seeking.
Prayer
Dear Lord, help me “come apart” before I “go apart.” Give me the courage to come home to my true Self, to the Christ who dwells in me, through times of solitude and prayer. Amen.