Psalm 62: 1-7

Friends,

The last 8 months, I have been slowly chewing through Psalms, verse by verse. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

As I read through Psalms, I'll be highlighting some chapters I've been reading and providing some commentary, along with some Matthew Henry sprinkled in for good measure.

My prayer is that you would be encouraged to sit in God's Word and take in all that God's Word has for us, verse by verse.

Psalms 62:1-7

For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation.

He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. 

How long will all of you attack a man to batter him, like a leaning wall, a tottering fence? 

They only plan to thrust him down from his high position. They take pleasure in falsehood. 

They bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse.    Selah

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him.

He only is my rock and salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.

(V1) "For God alone" 

I used to rock this exact phrase on a t-shirt ten years past its prime... thankful for my wife's encouragement in the fashion department to tell me that it might be wise to get rid of shirts from 8th grade...

The saying was true in David's time, 15 years ago... and still true today. For God alone means there is nothing on earth that can satisfy us outside of Christ. Our aim must be like a straight arrow that points directly to him. May we run every day with a perseverance and gaze that is fixed on Jesus. (See Hebrews 12:1-2)

(V1) "My soul waits in silence"

This is a deep matter of the soul. We must pay attention to these words and not take them lightly. Our eternity rests in the balance of where we put our faith. I pray it is that of Jesus Christ.

We see David's dependence on God, and only God. 

I like Matthew Henry's comment here... 

"Quietly expecting what He will do... we are in the way of both duty and comfort when our souls wait upon God, when we cheerfully refer ourselves, and the disposal of all our affairs, to His will and wisdom, when we acquiesce in and accommodate ourselves to all the dispositions of His providence, and patiently expect a doubtful event with an entire satisfaction in His righteousness and goodness, however it may be"

How often do we sit in silence? 

As I write late in the evening, the kids are down, my bride is asleep, and all is quiet. But how often is my heart like a raging sea, billowing up and down to the circumstances of life. When we wait in silence for the Lord, He calms the storms with a single word.

Maybe not in the exact timing we want...but we can hope in Him like David does. (ref Psalm 121)

(V1) "From Him comes my salvation"

Have we reminded ourselves of this truth today? I am so quick to run on my own power and strength, but all power, glory, honor, and salvation comes from the Lord. (see Romans 5:8-11)

(V2) "He is my rock, and my salvation, my fortress, I shall not be greatly shaken"

What a great illustration of the Lord's care for us, so much so that we cannot be shaken. Satan is on the attack (1st Peter 5:7-9) but who is God? One that will fortify, strengthen, hold us, and prepare us for battle. (see Isaiah 41:10)

(V3-4) We see how David spites his enemies. Who are those that attack a man of God? Those that take pleasure in falsehood, bless with mouths, but curse inwardly.

I think about this in light of today. How many people bless God with their mouths but curse Him with their hearts and lives?  Be wary of those people. 

Inversely, we can celebrate that God is victor (see Psalm 76, Romans 8:1-2)

(V6-7) A emphatic reminder of verses 1-2. Continue to wait, continue to press on towards Christ. 

Another Henry remark... "The more faith is acted, the more active is it" (See Isaiah 26:3-4)

Bottom line... 

1) God is the source of our strength

2) Wait on God who will hold us tightly in times of trouble and times of joy.

3) Christ has overcome death and the victory has already been won!

MG

The Dream

Everyone has a certain place that brings back the fondest of memories. Perhaps it was a lake, a playground, a bench. All of these places gave you a sense of warmth, a sense that everything was right in the world, or even that magic could happen.

As runners, I think we all have a special place (or even a few) to us that we cherish dearly. For me, that place was Norbuck Park in Dallas. A park filled with memories of trails, tears, and triumph. I can still hear the sound of the gun go off during my middle school years of cross-country. I still remember the old dusty 2-mile course like it was yesterday. The first big turn, the "massive hill" that used to haunt me, the wooded portion of the course, and the extraordinary finish through the tree tunnel.

Beautiful Norbuck Park… photo credited to bigredwill

Often when I am back in Dallas, I'll go run the course just for old-times sake. It was here that my love for running arguably began. Youngsters learned how to compete, how to fight off pain, and how to finish well.

My favourite part of the 2-mile dirt course was the last 300 meters. You would go up a massive hill, come flying down, then wind through a tree tunnel that would lead you to a 300 meter finish. This last section was always special to me. I remember dying in a race, coming down the tree tunnel, and then planting my foot on a root, which signified the final stretch. When I launched from the root, it was time to set ablaze and hammer towards the finish line.

During this moment, the final kick, life seemed to stop. The people around me cheering seemed to disappear, all I could hear was my beating heart ticking and runners next to me breathing deeply as we poured our souls into the finish line with nothing left. I'm thankful for these times that taught me truly how to compete and dig deep!

Lately, running has been quite rough. Injuries keep plaguing me in 2015, so I have spent a lot of time cross-training and Alter-G'ing. Being away from the team is the hardest part. You just want to get back…and soon. I would give anything to be crushing workouts with the guys!

Not everyday is a bad day… having a little fun on the Alter G!

Anyone with an injury understands that there is a sense of longing, sometimes, even sadness. I've gone through major bouts of depression being injured constantly throughout my career.

Deep water running alone often feels like I am stuck in a prison with nowhere to go. 60 minutes can feel like eternity. I can relate to how Paul felt while he was in prison, yet Paul calls us to run the race well (1st Cor 9:24). While I'm in the pool, I like to imagine the story of Paul and Silas singing in prison, how crazy would that of looked like!

But it hasn't been all doom and gloom while I've been injured. The Lord continues to teach me incredible things, and I am thankful for that every single day. God is good, even when I am injured and don't understand. Frankly, I may never understand. But I can glorify God with an injury, that's why I sing, just like Paul and Silas did!

Recently, I've been having a reoccurring dream, back at Norbuck Park. I am racing the old dusty 2-mile course, only this time, in a Baylor jersey by myself. Everything is just like before, each turn I take brings back nostalgia and it is magical. A mile and a half in, however, I begin to feel the pain of racing take its toll. As I feel the pain and my body screams for mercy, I then make the narrow turn approaching the tree tunnel. I launch off the root towards the finish line and begin crafting my final move.

As I shift into my final gear, something incredible happens. The sun comes shining in through the tree tunnel and Jesus is right next to me, encouraging me and saying, "You can do it, trust me, I am with you!"

When I cross the finish line, Jesus embraces me and tells me that He has been with me, every step of the race.

My life verse, Isaiah 41:10, is a testimony to that promise which says,

"So do not fear for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." 

Even though I am injured, I trust in the Lord and know that He is with me, every single step of the way, just like my dream at Norbuck Park!

...Maybe we will get to race in heaven with healthy and new bodies!