Psalm 62:1–2 (ESV)
For God alone my soul waits in silence;
from him comes my salvation.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.
—Psalm 62:1–2
The 62nd Psalm opens with a mighty declaration of confidence that sets the tone with which we sing the rest of the psalm. It is a tone of faith and trust.
“For God alone my soul waits in silence…”. What does it mean to wait in silence? The first thing to notice about this silence is that it is very loud. This is no quiet, contemplative silence, waiting for an answer. This is the silence that results from having the answer, and it is loud. This song is an expression of this silence. This silence sings.
This silence shushes neither loud singing nor ardent prayer. Pouring “out your heart before” God does not take us away from but towards this this silence.
This silence is a stillness of soul; it is a trustful rest in God. “For God alone my soul waits in silence.” You can see how silence and stillness are parallel in Psalm 83:1. “O God, do not keep silence; do not hold your peace or be still, O God!” Understanding that silence means stillness, we can find further illumination in texts like Psalm 37:7. “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!” This stillness of soul means not fretting over the wicked.
A familiar passage, often misunderstood, is then not only clarified by this, but now serves to clarify. “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10). This stillness of soul is not loud with doubt, fear, or murmuring. It is loud with faith, trust, and rest. It is loud with confidence. This silence of soul is an expression of trust—trust in God alone. Trust in God that our salvation comes from Him.
It is a stillness that understands our part is to trust and obey. God’s part is to save and deliver. When it comes to the saving, this stillness of soul realizes two things: 1. I can’t make His salvation happen. 2. They can’t stop His salvation from happening.
This is the kind of trust that takes a deep breath, and then sings, “For God alone my soul waits in silence from him comes my salvation.”