My Soul Waits in Silence

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...

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

for my hope is from him.

He only is my rock and my salvation; 

my fortress, I shall not be shaken...

Once God has spoken,

twice have I heard this:

that power belongs to God,

and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.

Psalm 62.1-2, 5-6, 11 ESV

I meet a lot of people who for one reason or another are waiting in silence.  Some are in hospitals, waiting for their bodies to heal.  Others are in nursing homes, waiting for someone to come visit them.  Still others are widows or widowers, advanced in years and unable to frequently leave their homes.  All these people are learning something about waiting in silence.

Unfortunately, it often takes something like this in order to make people slow down, rest, and wait in silence.  However, the psalmist who did not find himself in any of these situations says that he waits in silence.  By practicing the presence of God in times of quiet rest, he finds hope, salvation, and refuge.  Because he does this, he is not shaken by the storms of life.

Twice in this psalm, David says that he waits in silence.  Twice also he uses the Hebrew word selah, which means "pause and reflect."  It is no coincidence, then, that twice David says that he heard from God.  In other words, the more you wait in silence, the more you hear from God.  Sometimes God speaks to you of His great power, and other times He declares His steadfast love.  But it is in those moments of silence that you hear.  

"Be still, and know that I am God," says the Lord (Ps 46.10 ESV).  When we allow times of stillness in our lives, when we draw the curtain on the world's distractions, when we rest in God alone, we find our hope.  I pray that today you will take a few moments to wait in silence.  It's only by doing so that you can hear from the God of steadfast love.