wait on Him... Psalm 62:5...

For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,

for my hope is from him.

Psalm 62:5 ESV

The verses today... follow the ones from yesterday's post...

and it sounds as if the psalmist suffers waiting woes too...

Now we hear him preaching to his own soul...

O my soul... wait in silence...

The verses between yesterday's and today's... reveal ongoing affliction...

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.

Psalm 62:3-4 ESV

The psalmist waits... hopes... in God...

to bring justice... overcome evil... free from oppression...

all the while encouraging his soul... wait in silence...

The Hebrew translated as silence doesn't only mean be quiet...

but also... to cease activity... rest... (Dictionary of Biblical Languages)

How often... when injustice seems to prevail... do we get busy taking things in our own hands... trying to make things right ourselves...?

When we won't wait... rest... be still... in the difficulty...

we reveal a lack of trust... an unbelief... in God... who says He defends... and calls us to something different...

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God,

for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord."

To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him;

if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing

you will heap burning coals on his head."

Do not overcome evil by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:19-21 ESV

Be silent... trust... rest... wait for Him...

He is faithful...

He will take care of things perfectly...

all in His time... 

seeking silence...

Seeking silence...
hoping He will fill it...

Needing Him to check my heart...
reveal my motives...

Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Try me and know my thoughts!

And see if there be any grievous way in me,

and lead me in the way of everlasting!

Psalm 139:23-24 ESV

Eternal wonder...

The more I consider Him as Eternal... the more I wonder...

His eternal Word... its unchanging nature solidifies in thought... increases confidence in what He says...

But... to know Him is eternal life... according to Jesus in His prayer to the Father on our behalf...

"...And this is eternal life, that they know the only true God,

and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. ..."

John 17:3 ESV

I never quite got this... until today...

Blessed with revelation... of the Eternal...

Praying in the sanctuary...

(come to think of it... standing before His Word...)

the prayer came...

I stand before You in Your eternal presence

in the midst of Eternal Life.

Through the blood of Jesus...

by the power of the Spirit...

we enter into His presence...

we enter into the Eternal...

To know Him in relationship... is to be in His presence... which is ETERNAL LIFE...

Eternal wonder... consumed my spirit...

As I knelt to close the time of prayer with a sister in Christ...

His presence filled the silence...

the wonder of Eternal... filled the space...

I didn't want to leave... or move...

I just wanted to be in that moment...

of Eternal wonder...

New revelation... of His eternal nature...

what it means to enter eternal life...

it happens... in... His... presence...

He... is... Eternal...

pondering... Psalm 62...

Setting Word to memory... causes one to ponder... seeking meaning... understanding... to help retain...

For God alone my soul waits in silence;

from him comes my salvation.

He only is my rock and my salvation,

my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.

Psalm 62:1-2 ESV

Why do we wait... for God alone...?

Why do we need a fortress...? a defense...?

Because we have... an enemy...

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.

Psalm 62:3-4

This enemy... is not flesh and blood...

he is spiritual... invisible...

he prowls... waiting to devour...

deceptive in all his ways...

This enemy is the reason... we are commanded... test the spirits...

Beloved, do not believe every spirit,

but test the spirits to see whether they are from God...

1 John 4:1 ESV

The enemy... whispers in our ear... with lies... that lead to our own destruction...

his one desire... divide us from the Father... our high position in heaven...

he delights in the lies... inflating self-centeredness... pride...

all the while... intending all as a curse...

The battle to discern the difference between good and evil... lies at the heart...

the willingness to die to self... the key to overcoming...

the wholehearted surrender... to the Truth... even when it sounds to good to be... frees...

but the battle continues... and it's hard to see...

So often we are blind... to what is happening... drawn in... to draw away...

How long will all attack... batter...?

Until the King returns...

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. ... He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

Revelation 19:11, 15

How long will we lean... totter...?

Until we stand firm... in His strength... take up His full armor...

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 

Put on the full armor of God so that you can 

take your stand against the devil's schemes.

Ephesians 6:10-11

Heartbreaking... to see the raging battle in a loved one... when they are blind... and you feel helpless...

Here is where I sit and wait... in silence... on Him... 

reminders... continue... shhhh....

The quieting of flesh... filtering thoughts of criticism... keeping watch over my words... continues to be reinforced... encouraged...

Where discipline of the tongue is practiced (Eph. 4:29), individuals will make an incomparable discovery. They will be able to stop incessantly observing others, judging them, condemning them, relegating them to their particular, controllable positions, and thus doing violence to them. They can let them stand entirely free, just as God placed them in regard to himself. Their vision widens, and for the first time --- and to their astonishment --- they know the wealth of God's glory as Creator.

---Dietrich Bonhoeffer, I Want to Live These Days with You, July 7

As the love of God begins with us listening to his Word, so the love of our sisters and brothers begin with us learning to listen to them. God's love for us consists not only in giving us his Word but also in lending us his ear. Thus it is his work that we do for our brothers and sisters when we learn to listen to them.

---Dietrich Bonhoeffer, I Want to Live These Days with You, July 9

How amazing... the discipline of the tongue... changes thoughts... hearts...

Listening... quieting flesh... turning outside oneself... a way to love...

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths,

but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion,

that it may give grace to those who hear.

Ephesians 4:29 ESV

Lord Jesus... keep my thoughts fixed on You...

ponder... this...

Words from a hymn in worship this morning...

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

Let all mortal flesh keep silence,

and with fear and trembling stand;

ponder nothing earthly minded,

for with blessing in his hand,

Christ our God to earth descendeth,

our full homage to demand.

---from the Liturgy of St. James, 4th century

...they make me stop... and consider... Do I fear the Lord... as I should...? am I too entangled in this world...? think too highly of my own understanding...?

I hear the counsel given... flesh... keep... silence...

The Lord is in his holy temple;

let all the earth be silent before him.

Habakkuk 2:20 NIV

Lord Jesus... I still the voice of my heart... flesh... soul... in deference to You...