Rector’s Reflections
Friday 22nd March 2024
Psalm 62 : A Psalm of Comfort for Times of Stress
We have now come to the end of our series of reflections on Psalm 62. This is a psalm full of practical advice on how we are to cope when faced with the stresses and strains of life. The psalmist advises us to put our trust in God, and to wait patiently for deliverance. At times of great stress, we can easily start to feel that the world around us is collapsing, and that we have ceased to have control over our lives. At times such as these, the psalmist encourages us to seek shelter in God: God is our “rock”, our “fortress” and our “refuge”. We can take shelter in God until the storms of life have passed- as pass they will.
As I write these words, I am reminded of the old hymn, “Rock of Ages, cleft for me”. The words of this hymn were written by Revd Augustus Toplady, a Church of England minister who lived back in the 18th Century. The story goes that the author was out near Cheddar Gorge when he was caught in a thunderstorm. He took refuge under the rocks, and this inspired him to write the words of the hymn. There is, in fact, no reliable evidence to support the story – but it’s a good story, none the less.
The first verse of the hymn, as it appears in the New English Hymnal , reads as follows:
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From thy riven side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,
Cleanse me from its guilt and power.
For a Christian, the words of Psalm 62 find their fulfilment in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christ is our rock and fortress, our refuge and our salvation. And Christ is the fullest demonstration of the power of God and the love of God. Our ultimate security in times of stress and trial lies in our union with Jesus Christ. Through our baptism, we are incorporated into Christ- we become one with Him. And so while we share in His death, we also share in His resurrection. At times of despair and dereliction, we need to remind ourselves that Good Friday is not the end of the story. In due course, there will be the joy of Easter day. It is our faith in Jesus Christ that allows us to wait with patience and hope for the deliverance which will come – in God’s good time.