Psalm 62

(We are sad, sad people. Sorry this is five days late. And it's going to be short.)

I love Psalm 62, and I particularly love this one particular verse, so that's where I am going to spend my time today.

Psalm 62:11-12a says, "One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O LORD, are loving."

I have struggled throughout my life with trusting what I know about God. I have been disappointed a lot in my life - through my own circumstances, although I tend to, in my immaturity, blame it on God. And several years ago, I just felt lost. And then I found this verse. And it is so powerful, and so special, and sometimes I read it and think, "What exactly does this say?" And then I remember, and I get it again, and I realize that what I know about God is exactly true.

God is strong. He is powerful, and he is mighty, and he is steady and sturdy and all those things you think of when you think of strong. He doesn't waver, and he doesn't change his mind about us. The Lord is loving. As a master, God is compassionate, and loving, and patient, and tender, and all those things that we need and don't even realize we need.

God never changes. I know that we hear that a lot - and I think we need to hear it a lot because we as humans are constantly changing, shifting beings. We are kind of the exact opposite of God in our character - we having nothing innate in us that is strong or loving, if we are given over to our sinful natures. Thank God we are not! Thank God he remains the same, despite the obscene number of times we have to remind ourselves that he remains the same!

It is because of God's unshifting, strong, and loving character that we can really claim the first two verses of this Psalm: "My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken." God is a fortress. He's strong and safe. He's a peaceful place of rest. And that's all because he is loving and strong.

Praise God for his perfect character!