Psalm 62:1

Truly my soul silently waits for God; 

from Him comes my salvation. 

He only is my rock and my salvation; 

He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.

     As I survey the state of our world, it is readily apparent that I have no real control over my future.  Of course, there are those who would disagree, arguing that with hard work, ingenuity, and knowledge that I can greatly influence my destiny.  In essence, they will say that I am in charge of setting my goals and my success depends on my efforts.

     That is partially true.  There is a certain level of personal responsibility that I must take ownership of.  But when I look at all the upheaval in the world -- the jihad against innocent civilians; the corruption and lies in our own government; the threat of imminent war in the Middle East that will affect all of us; and the economic storm headed our way -- are you going to tell me that I have any authority over how they will affect me?

     The answer to that should be apparent.  And that is why this simple verse of Scripture offers so much hope.  We are indeed in the midst of a spiritual storm.  The forces of Evil are battling for our very souls and we must approach this spiritual battle with confidence and a calm courage.  If we are truly God's children, then we should be in a state of constant dependence on Him, never questioning His presence, nor His protection.  

     And we wait "silently", never grumbling or questioning; but remaining steadfast and trusting.  As I re-read this Scripture, I am aware that it was written by David, and to be honest I do not know at what stage of his life he wrote it.  But I imagine him contemplating and remembering when he faced the Philistine giant, Goliath.  The rock that slew his enemy is representative of our God, who gives us the instrument (our salvation) to defeat our Enemy.  God alone is our weapon and our defense.  Our money, our efforts, our connections .... yes, our Best ... can never accomplish the victory.  

     I must admit that there are days I feel as if Goliath is bearing down upon me.  But just as David confronted his fears [in his fight with Goliath] with a steadfast heart, so can we meet the challenges of our spiritual and physical battles.  And as the last words attest, we shall not be moved!  We can be threatened, intimidated, and tossed around by world events; even to the point of being knocked down.  But we will hold our ground because we know in whom our salvation, our defense and our rescue lies. When our hearts and our souls are firmly resting on God, then we can quietly submit to His will, His wisdom, and His ways; knowing that this world has no lasting effect on us.  We can rest in the perfect confidence of eternal salvation.