Pour Your Heart Out
Psalm 62:1-8
September 24, 2023
We can all state with confidence, ‘life does not always go as we planned.’ Just when you think you’ve got something figured out, you realize you don’t. Just when you thought you could count on someone, they let you down.
Can you remember a time when you were counting on a loved one to show up and be there for you, but they didn’t?
Did you ever give your heart to some girl or guy, only to have that person drop your heart on the ground?
Maybe you entered into a business venture and the other parties proved untrustworthy? Or shared a secret with a friend, but they gave it away?
Have you ever believed in some authority figure, but rather than doing you good, they abused you?
Few things are more sacred than trust between people, and few things are more ravaging than to have that trust broken.
When you've had your trust broken many times, it becomes easy to start seeing God through the lens of these experiences as well.
Can God really be trusted? If He’s so sufficient and good, then why did those bad things happen to me?
I lost my love, my job, my money, my health, my confidence? My kids are messed up, and I don't know what to do. My marriage is in trouble, or my finances are bottoming out. I’m depressed and distressed! My body is letting me down.
God, I'm trying to do what’s right, but I'm scared. Will things turn out okay? Are you really trustworthy, God? God, are you even there?
Have you ever wondered this?
When we’re going through those storms in life, when we’re questioning, it can be hard to find our footing. It’s hard to believe the good words from others, it’s difficult to believe that somehow life will turn out better. We can’t seem to get over what’s happened. Sometimes we even begin to doubt God’s words.
We’ve been talking about being weary and heavy burdened, our need to find and experience rest in God’s arms. As we continue looking at stories and examples and maybe finding some clues to help us, I want to talk about Psalm 62. It’s a psalm written by David.
One of the reasons Psalms are so great is that they’re real. David, especially gives us thoughts that aren’t very different than ours. Before we get to the Psalm, I want to share a passage from Jeremiah 6. It’s really powerful because I believe it describes our present condition.
16 Thus says the Lord: “Stand by the (cross) roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.
But the people said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
17 I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet!’
But they said, ‘We will not pay attention.’
When we’re in the weary times of life it’s as if we’ve reached a crossroads and we must choose which way we’ll go. In this passage, God’s telling us we must choose the good way because that’s the only way to “find rest for our souls.”
Those are God’s words for us. Those aren’t my words, they come from God, who’s offering us rest. So, we stand at a crossroads, and we look both ways and we know the way to go, but we choose differently. Our GPS is shouting GO STRAIGHT! But we turn left/right. It makes no sense.
Why would we do that? Well, sometimes God’s way is going to take us more time to get to the promised land. Think of the Israelites during the Exodus. A month long trip took them 40 years. How many of us might have returned to Egypt or just settled for wherever.
We get to the crossroads and often times we take the easy road, the path of least resistance. Instead of trusting God and enduring the tough times, which will bring a great reward, we choose poorly.
God says, pay attention, I’ve got the official GPS guidance system, but we don’t pay attention.
So, we end up lost, frantic, wearied, confused . . . .
The people wouldn’t listen to God and instead, chose to go their own way rather than “the good way.” And because of this decision, they don’t find rest.
So, what’s “the good way” that Jeremiah wrote about? It’s Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” (Jn 14:6). He also said, “Come to me all who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt. 11:28)
Jesus is the good way -- the only way -- the way which provides rest for our souls. As we look at Psalm 62, we’ll see what practical wisdom we can glean from David - - - - so that we too, can find restoration.
David begins the Psalm by telling us - - - -
1 For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation.
Some versions use the word, rests instead of waits. But I believe waits is a better translation. Think about our world. Even go back to David’s world. David was always under attack, he ran for his life. He had to hide away. In our lives, we can often feel under attack, not always by others, but by living life.
So, David tells us my soul waits in silence. David isn’t out there trying to solve his problems and situation instead he knows where his help comes from.
From Him comes my salvation. My salvation can only come from one place. There is only one who can save me. I can’t save myself.
I can mess it up more, I can go deeper and deeper into the abyss as I try to work my way out, but there’s only One who can give me the peace and rest I desire - - - - that’s Jesus.
SILENCE - Note that. He’s quieted himself so he can hear God. Circle that word SILENCE
David continues, proclaiming - - - -
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.
David proclaims He can trust God, because He’s David’s rock! He’s the source of his salvation. God is the fortress. He’s impenetrable. There’s no better guard on duty, than God.
Interestingly, David says I will not be greatly shaken. As he works through the process, David admits he might get a bit shaken. But David knows where his salvation comes from. He knows who his rock is.
But there are forces at work against David. He has enemies. He tells us - - - -
3 How long will all of you attack a man to batter him, like a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
4 They only plan to thrust him down from his high position. They take pleasure in falsehood. They bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse.
He’s under attack. Just like we are. It comes from all areas. You’re feeling battered, beaten up. You feel like you’re tottering, about to fall over from exhaustion of fighting the battle.
The people are after him. Ever have lies told about you? And those same lying people are patting you on the back and praising you with their lips, but inwardly, they’re against you and are working against you.
That’s what’s going on. Does that sound familiar to part of your story? It’s not fun, we waver and wobble as we try to trust God, but aren’t sure if He’s really holding us up. And sometimes we need to proclaim it again and again, so that we really believe it.
In the midst of his battles, fighting his oppressors, David goes back to God. He returns to what he said in his first 2 verses, with a couple of switches - - - -
5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him.
David doesn’t refer to salvation as he did in verse 1. But now he’s talking about waiting in silence as God is his source of hope. That comes from God alone. It’s not easy to wait in silence. We want to yell and scream to get God’s attention.
But oftentimes we can’t hear or see God at work, because we’re yelling and screaming trying to get God’s attention, trying to solve our problems irrespective of God.
We’re trying to do God’s work, to change our situation -- and that’s not working. We’re pleading with God to show up.
And God’s telling us “I’m here, come to me, come to me and I’ll give you rest, I’ll show you the true way.” It’s only when we stand silent before God that we can experience this.
There’s lots of Bible stories that talk about our need to be silent before God. Our silence opens the door to hearing and seeing God at work. David adds - - - -
6 He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
Again, God is His rock and salvation, his fortress, but now there’s a shift. As David has spoken to himself, as he’s quieted himself he’s moved in his confidence and trust in God. This psalm is written as a chiasm. It’s where verses mirror one another. We see it in verses 1 and 5; and 2 and 6.
Look at how verse 2 to 6 changes - - - - -
2 I shall not be greatly shaken.
6 I shall not be shaken.
Do you see the difference? David has moved from being shakey to the point that now he is no longer shaken.
His spirit has changed. His trust has changed. His outlook has changed. Nobody’s going to shake him because God is His rock and salvation, a mighty fortress, his stronghold and place of refuge.
David says that we can pour out our souls to God because he is our refuge. The prophet Nahum wrote - - - -
1:7 The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him
In times of trouble we can confidently call on the Lord because He cares for those who trust Him. We continue to see that trusting God is foundational. When we rely on the Lord he becomes a refuge for us and takes care of us. If we couldn’t rely on the Lord, if we couldn’t trust Him - - - -
then we couldn’t feel free to open up and bear our souls to God either. But as Nahum said, the Lord is good ---- so rely on Him and earnestly call on Him.
David continues, saying - - - -
7 On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
8 Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.
Have you ever repeated something to yourself? Sometimes you have to tell yourself something over and over again. Maybe you’re struggling to believe in yourself and you have an interview coming up and you’re nervous, but you know it.
So, you tell yourself again and again, “I believe in myself! I can do it!”
That’s what David is doing with God. He’s saying over and over again that God is his refuge. God is his rock. In God alone rests my salvation. So, what does David tell us to do, POUR OUT YOUR HEART BEFORE GOD.
What great words of wisdom from David. If we believe God already knows what’s in our hearts, then why would we hide them from Him, who knows all. Pour out your heart before God. Think about what David’s asking us to do, POUR OUT YOUR HEART - - - - - -
- - - - That doesn’t mean give a little trickle, it means let it flow, let your heart come gushing, flowing out before God. Don’t hold back. God can handle it, believe me, God can handle whatever we think we are going to throw His way.
If we are going to find rest for our souls, stop worrying about how things are going to end up and start trusting in God’s reward. David tells us - - - -
11 Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God,
12 and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. For you will render to a man according to his work.
Why should we trust in God’s ability to reward us? David gives us two reasons -- God is powerful, strong and God is loving.
Because God is strong we can be sure that He has the power to protect the righteous as well as the power to punish the wicked. And because God is loving we have the assurance that God will use His power for what is right. The thought of serving an all powerful God who is not loving is frightening. Just as it is to serve a loving but impotent God is scary.
I’m so thrilled we have a God who is all powerful AND all loving. A God who is filled with compassion, grace and mercy.
The ultimate reward is a relationship with Jesus Christ. That relationship brings me comfort and power in this life and gives me an unending hope in the life that is to come.
I’m not sure what my rewards will look like on that final day, but this I know, for all who long for His appearing, for those who say yes to Jesus ----
---- trust that He is with you, no matter what you’re going through, whether it’s a health issue, mental, financial, work related, home related . . . . whatever it is that’s going on, I want you to know we have a God who is with you. He loves you and sent His Son to be with you to give you this great hope!!
The point of David’s psalm is trusting in God. Trust in His promises. Trust that He won’t abandon you, He won’t leave you standing alone. He will be with you.
Choose to rely on God in all circumstances.
Choose to earnestly call on God in good and bad times.
Choose to set your heart on God.
Choose to trust in God’s reward.
So, when you stand at the cross roads, stop, and seek God’s direction, God’s GPS - - - - not yours or the worlds, and ultimately you will end up in the promised land. And when that happens you will find rest, restoration, and have the greatest hope . . . hope in Jesus!
If you choose wisely, you will discover that there really is rest for the weary.
