Tottering Faith

Tuesday 12/19/2017 6:49 AM

Psalm 62 begins with a statement of fact: “Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.” That all sounds nice and pretty but it seems that David is brought back to reality in a big hurry when you read the following verses in which he talks about being assaulted and being thrown down and describes himself as a leaning wall and a tottering fence.

That sequence can play itself out regularly in my life. When I attend a Sunday worship service or perhaps, a retreat, it is easy to get caught up in the emotions of it all, assured of my faith and confident that I will not be shaken. Then, when the week begins or I come down from the mountaintop high of the retreat, the assaults of life resume the assurance and confidence I had earlier dissolve into the doubt and uncertainty of a leaning wall and tottering fence.

David doesn’t continue wallowing around in doubt and uncertainty. In the next verses he recalls the fact he stated earlier and restates it as an imperative, “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”

As I read Psalm 62 this morning I began wondering if something was going to happen soon that would assault my faith and make me doubt God’s goodness. Then I realized that the big catastrophes of life are not always the things that bring doubt. It is often the stresses of my regular routine: work, family life, and social interactions that assail me the most. I would do well to heed David’s example and regularly tell myself, “Find rest in God, your hope comes from him. Trust God. Pour your heart out to God for he is your rock and your refuge.”