“I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken. So many enemies against one man— all of them trying to kill me. To them I’m just a broken-down wall or a tottering fence. They plan to topple me from my high position. They delight in telling lies about me. They praise me to my face but curse me in their hearts. Interlude Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge. Interlude Common people are as worthless as a puff of wind, and the powerful are not what they appear to be. If you weigh them on the scales, together they are lighter than a breath of air. Don’t make your living by extortion or put your hope in stealing. And if your wealth increases, don’t make it the center of your life. God has spoken plainly, and I have heard it many times: Power, O God, belongs to you; unfailing love, O Lord, is yours. Surely you repay all people according to what they have done.”
Psalms 62:1-12 NLT
The common practice, even among Christians of today, is to “center” ourselves through meditation. For many, this means shutting out all thoughts and seeking to hear the voice of God. This practice is, of course, occults in nature. Shutting all things out and waiting for the voice of God is not biblical. Instead, we are to find the voice of God among the din and learn to hear it no matter how loud the other inputs may become. David’s form of this is to place markers into the noise. Rather than shit out all other influences, he adds a more vibrant color than what is already there. This is based on God’s promises and character. Then after studying this color, he seeks to continue steadfastly. It is not unlike one who continually looks down at his map when he is confused. He pauses to search for the street names on his map, and then seeks to find them on the streets that he is at. Our pursuit of God must be similar. We must take a moment to quietly wait before God. This isn’t a meditative act of trying to shed the noises. It is a discerning act of seeking to decipher them. Too many Christians stop and listen to their hearts and try to quiet the world around them. Instead they ought to quiet their own hearts and reorient them themselves to the truths that are readily available to them.
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