Psalm 62 vs. 1
"For God alone my soul waits in silence;"

King David, the Psalmist, makes this statement two times,

"For God alone my soul waits in silence."

I suppose we could ask the confirmands, what they think about waiting. They have been anxiously waiting for today to arrive, since starting confirmation back in October. Truthful, after a class or two, I couldn't wait until confirmation came either. Now that confirmation day, has finally arrived, I want to charge the young men and women of our confirmation class, as well as the rest of you with these words of King David's

"For God alone my soul waits in silence."

Throughout life I have found myself, anxiously waiting. Waiting for birthdays and Christmas to come, waiting for summer vacations, waiting for a letter or package to arrive in the mail, waiting for a plane to arrive, waiting for the results of a test, and at times like King David, waiting for God.

I was waiting on God for similar reasons as David, because from God, comes my salvation and my hope.

David wrote this Psalm, during His son Absalom's rebellious years. You might think Absalom was a teenager at the time, but he wasn't, he was a grown man, an impatient grown man. Absalom could not wait until his father David died so he could become king. Unable to wait Absalom planned a rebellion, a plot to assassinate his father. You might wonder, why David didn't do something to squash the rebellion, that would seem like the most natural thing to do.

We see it being done everyday, people using their honor, their power, their wealth or prestige to get themselves out of hot water or a messy situation. But David realizes the futility of trusting honor or power or wealth or prestige,

vs. 10, "Put no confidence in extortion, and set no vain hopes in robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart on them."

Unwilling to mount an attack against Absalom, David does what he knows best, he waits for God.

"For God alone my soul waits in silence."

David waits for God because he realizes that true relief from his problem, does not come when the problem is resolved, because more problem are sure to come. David waits for God because he learned that true relief comes from God, that from God comes His salvation and hope.

"For God alone my soul waits in silence."

Like Pentecost, when the disciples waited for the filling of the Holy Spirit, Psalm 62 challenges you and me, to wait on God, when life seems to becoming unraveled, when the harsh realities of life hit us like a wave hitting the beach. It challenges us not to wait but to wait, SILENTLY.

In other words, don't just go to God and talk His ear off, telling God WHAT God should do and HOW God should do it and WHEN God should act. Go to God SILENTLY.

Mother Teresa said, "In the silence and purity of the heart God speaks." Mother Teresa is echoing Psalm62, telling us to go to God with silence:

."Silence of the eyes, by seeking always the beauty of God everywhere, closing them to the faults of others and to all that is sinful and disturbing to the soul.

.Silence of the ears, by listening always to the voice of God and to the cry of the poor and needy’ closing them to all other voices that come from fallen human nature, such as gossip, tale bearing, and uncharitable words.

Silence of the tongue, by praising God and speaking the life-giving Word of God that is the Truth, that enlightens and inspires, brings peace, hope and joy, and by refraining from self-defense and every word that causes darkness, turmoil, pain and death.

Silence of the mind, by opening it to the truth and knowledge of God in prayer and contemplation, like Mary who pondered the marvels of the Lord in her heart, and by closing it to all untruths, distractions, destructive thoughts, rash judgments, false suspicions of others, revengeful thoughts, and desires.

Silence of the heart, by loving God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength and one another as God loves, and avoiding all selfishness, hatred, envy, jealousy, and greed."

"For God alone my soul waits in silence"

When you go to God in silence you will find your hope and your salvation.

Amen

Past Sermons