Rector’s Reflections
Wednesday 20th March 2024
Psalm 62: A Psalm of Comfort for Times of Stress
I finished yesterday’s reflections by quoting verses 9 and 10 of this psalm, which emphasise the transitory nature of our lives and our possessions. These verse read as follows: “Those of low estate are but a breath, those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are altogether lighter than a breath. Put no confidence in extortion, and set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart on them”.
So if we are not to place our confidence in human beings and in financial resources, where are we to look for the strength we need to enable us to tackle the challenges of life?
The psalmist gives the following answer: “Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this : that power belongs to God and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord.”
In these words, the psalmist is making three claims about God. To start with, the psalmist is stating that God is not some mere abstraction incapable of doing anything. Quite the opposite: there is a source of energy at the heart of God (God’s “power”), and this power enables God to act. But the psalmist goes on to note that God is not merely a source of power: He is also a source of “steadfast love”. God’s love is neither fickle nor arbitrary. It is “steadfast”.
So how does God’s ability to act (His power) relate to his loving nature? And here the psalmist makes his third point. God’s power and His love work in perfect union: His power is a perfect expression of His love and His love is expressed through His power.
The conviction that there is a perfect union between God’s power and God’s love gives us the confidence we need to face the challenges of life. If God were merely a source of power, how would we know that God would exercise His power for our benefit and for the benefit of our world? And if He were merely a source of love, how would we know that God’s love had the power to change anything for the better? We need to believe in a God who is not only loving, but also able to change ourselves and our world for the better. We need to able to make the words of psalmist our own:” power belongs to God, and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord”.
Where are we to put our confidence? The psalmist would answer this question quite simply: we are to put our confidence in God’s steadfast love and in God’s power.
This is all very well, but I think there are times when we find it difficult to follow or accept the psalmist’s advice. We find ourselves unable to believe that God really does love us or that God really does have the power to sort out a situation. I think at times like this, our best course of action is simply to be honest with God about how we are feeling, and to ask God to give us the strength and patience we need. And sometimes all we can do is to offer up the shortest of prayers:”Lord, help me to get through this day”. A short, earnest prayer like this can be surprisingly effective.