It is my husband's birthday and as we inch closer and closer to 40 we discuss, in awe, how we could possibly be this old! For the record, he is 37 today.
How I love him and every year that he is alive. I love how I get to see him grow in wisdom. I cheer on his gray hairs so I don't feel so alone in my plethora. I'm thankful he was born and that God created us for each other and orchestrated our lives to meet exactly 18 years ago. And as we age, intertwined, each day becomes sweeter, each birthday more precious.
Happy birthday, Love!
As I read my Bible this morning I came across some verses that spoke loudly to me. Verses about trusting in God as my refuge.
Life flies by and I'm buzzing around, taking charge of the things that need to be done, and moving from task to task, and being so darn busy that I don't see the Lord right there to the side, in the shadows somewhat, open arms waiting for me to crawl in to His embrace.
He is the safety in a world that can feel so bleak. He is the shelter when I'm overwhelmed. And He's there all the time and I ignore Him, or forget Him, or I get so wrapped up in just getting through the day that I don't allow Him to be that safe place for me to turn.
My soul, wait thou only upon God;
for my expectation is from him.
He only is my rock and my salvation:
he is my defence; I shall not be moved.
In God is my salvation and my glory:
the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
Trust in him at all times;
ye people, pour out your heart before him:
God is a refuge for us.
Selah.
Psalm 62: 5-8
Now is the time to get yourself a nice cup of coffee or some hot tea and sit with me awhile. I did some word study to dig deeper into these verses using my Bible and the Strong's concordance.
Bold type is the original. The definitions come from the concordance. Italics is my own plugging of the definitions into the original just for some deeper understanding, not to make the original better because that can't be done.
My soul, wait thou only upon God.
Wait = stop and be still
only = surely, certainly, truly
My soul, stop and be still, surely upon God.
For my expectation is from Him.
Expectation = the thing that I long for
For the thing that I long for is from Him.
He only is my rock and my salvation:
he is my defence.
Rock = strength, refuge
salvation = deliverance, aid
defence = a place of refuge
He truly is my strength and my deliverance: he is my place of refuge.
I shall not be moved.
Moved = slip, be
off course, to fall in decay
I shall not be off course.
In God is my salvation and my glory:
the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
glory = honor,
splendor
refuge = shelter
In God is my safety and my honor:
the rock of my strength, and my shelter, is in God.
Trust in him at all times; ye
people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us.
Selah.
I also noticed in these verses that the Bible gives us some facts about God and then what we are to do now, knowing those facts. Don't you love how layered the Bible is?
I'll break this down into three parts.
1) from Him
2) in Him
3) He is
~~~From Him.... verse 5 says my expectation is from him, expectation being that thing I long for, my hope. This reminds me of faith: the evidence of things hoped for (Hebrews 11:1). Verse 5 says that this expectation from him should cause me to wait thou only upon God, to be silent and still in anticipation.
~~~He is.... verses 6 and 7 state four things that God is.
- my rock. He is that ultimate strength in any storm.
- my salvation. He is deliverance from the power of sin.
- my defense. He is that place of safety, the fortress.
- my refuge. He is shelter and warmth. He is home.
God is my rock, my salvation, my defense, my refuge and I shall not be moved. With all of that protection offered, if I am willing to accept it, I won't be shaken by the storm.
~~~In Him.... Because of the things that God is, and because I am His child by way of salvation, verse 7 explains four things that I have IN God.
- my salvation is IN God. Salvation here referring to my safety and liberty.
- my glory is IN God. Wait a minute! Shouldn't this be HIS glory? A-ha, when we are the Lord's He gives us His glory. Isn't that a beautiful idea? Because I am His I have an honor and splendor that is not of myself, but of God.
- the rock of my strength is IN God. Can I maybe say that God is the foundation of my boldness? He is the source of my power.
- my refuge is IN God. My shelter. My safe place. My home.
Now, because I have these things in God, verse 8 explains that I can trust in Him at all times. If I understand fully that God holds my safety, bestows upon me some measure of His own glory, is the source of my very strength, and affords to me a refuge, then trusting Him with my every moment should be a natural outgrowth.
Maybe broken down into an outline with points and bullets makes this whole thing seem cold and clinical. Thankfully the Lord is warmer than my formatting of points.
In the trenches of real life, He is that one immoveable, unshakeable reality that we can hold to. In the day to day battles, He is the warm lights of home. But better.
My trenches are at work, with co-workers that don't know my loving God and customers that try my graces. My trenches are with raising teenagers in a world overcome with sin. My battles are with my shortcomings and vulnerabilities. And daily I'm affronted by noise and worry and fear.
But God.
He is my refuge.
My soul, wait thou only upon God;
for my expectation is from him.
He only is my rock and my salvation:
he is my defence; I shall not be moved.
In God is my salvation and my glory:
the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
Trust in him at all times;
ye people, pour out your heart before him:
God is a refuge for us.
Selah.
Psalm 62:5-8
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