John Piper once wrote, “To be brought to a place where God is our only real hope is a merciful experience”.
Have you ever had experiences where you lose your joy and you cry out to God in desperation for mercy, help and relief? Our current world is in chaos. Daily news relates sicknesses, wars, deaths, famines, civil unrests, crimes, and awful events. Sometimes we are faced with crises where all our comforts, hopes and joys are removed from us, and we beg God for mercy.
When David wrote Psalm 62, he was experiencing a season of desperation. Yet David could cry out, “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…Rest in God ALONE, O my soul, for my HOPE COMES FROM HIM.” [verses 1, 2 + 5]
Often, we seek solutions from various sources during our difficult times, but above we note that David sought his peace, hope and joy in “God ALONE.” When the Lord delivered David from the hand of his enemies and from the hand of Saul, he said: “I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my Saviour; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.” [Psalm 18:1,2]
Thank You precious Jesus, that You promise to be with me during hardships and troubles. Thank You that You “restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” [Ps. 51:12] Thank You that You say in Heb. 13:5 that You will never leave me nor forsake me. And in John 14:27 You comfortingly declare, “Peace I leave with you; MY peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Thank You that I need not be anxious about my life or my tough experiences because You are constantly with me, renewing and restoring me and giving me fresh hope and joy. I love You Oh Lord, my strength, my constant hope and my eternal joy!
Myrtle Turunen