Psalm 62: God is the rock of my strength!

God’s goodness and constancy is made all the more relevant and poignant in contrast with the evil present in the hearts of men, and the dirty deeds they commit. This psalm is full of profound advice, and great quotable lines. I believe there’s even a hymn inspired by verses 1 and 2.

How majestic they are! “In God alone there is rest for my soul, from Him comes my safety; He alone is my rock, my safety, my stronghold so that I stand unshaken.” Wow! The sentiment is repeated, with slightly different words, in verses 5-7, and extended in verse 8: “In God is my refuge; trust in Him, you people, at all times. Pour out your hearts to Him, God is a refuge for us.”

Verse 9 amazes me, and reminds us all of our fleeting existence and meaningless vanity: “Ordinary people are a mere puff of wind, important people a delusion; set both on the scales together, and they are lighter than a puff of wind.” All of us are deluding ourselves when we believe we’re important. We are so frail, that we are as a puff of wind – no, lighter than it. This isn’t meant to dishearten us, and it doesn’t mean that we cannot make a difference in the world. We certainly can. Each of us can be a force for good or evil, and history itself shows how much of an impact individuals can make depending on what they set their mind to. The point is to dedicate ourselves to doing good, and verse 10 is a strong reminder of that.

The Bible itself is a powerful record of the deeds of men. If we examine it, we see that God endows each of us with a certain amount of strength, and with certain talents. We are each to use what we are given to do good works, to do the will of God, but some of us (actually, most of us) waste that strength and those talents on vain pursuits, and some even put them to evil use. That is why verses 11 and 12 are there, to remind us of our purpose, and coming retribution: “… Strength belongs to God, to you, Lord, faithful love; and you repay everyone as their deeds deserve.”