Waiting has a particularly strong way of exposing what’s in the heart. If you don’t believe me, watch a small child in line for an amusement park ride!
 
When the answers we are seeking take longer than we like or are delayed indefinitely, we discover where we’ve really been looking for security. We reach out for control, approval, financial stability, influence, certainty, or any number of earthly substitutes that promise relief for our worry and angst.
 
Psalm 62 opens the door to something better, something much more stable and permanent.
 
Its refrains echo with a simple declaration: his soul waits silently before God. What is in view here isn’t some form of unhealthy emotional suppression or stoic detachment from reality. The writer isn’t pretending things aren’t the way they are. In fact, later on, he urges God’s people to pour out their hearts to Him. Honest prayer and quiet trust belong together in a choreographed dance of solace and comfort.
 
I’ve seen a trend in recent years when Christians are asked how they are doing to give little phrases of affirmation over and over like “better than I deserve” or “too blessed to be stressed”. It’s not that these are wrong or even untrue, unless, of course, they aren’t true at all.

Biblical waiting isn’t pretending everything is fine when it’s not. It’s bringing everything that’s not ok into His presence and offering it up to Him. It’s being honest about our fears, disappointments, frustrations, and questions. It’s us refusing to look elsewhere for ultimate rescue and only to the One who can actually provide it.
 
Our modern world has so many different places to which we can look for refuge … and they’re all false. Human strength always fails. Wealth fades or outright vanishes. Power disappoints and circumstances change, often without notice. God is the only One who remains steady and steadfast.
 
This is why waiting is really a matter of the heart. The hard part isn’t learning how to endure uncertainty, it’s learning Who to trust when it inevitably comes. When the waiting is long and the darkness lingers, it’s then we discover that God isn’t one refuge among many … we realize He is our ONLY refuge.
 
Because He is our refuge, we can rest in peace even before our circumstances change … and especially when they never do.

What false sources of refuge and strength are most tempting to you when life feels uncertain? Have you ever had difficulty pouring your heart out to God? What would it look like for you to do that while also resting in Him alone?

Father, over the years I’ve found many, many places to look for false hope and refuge. Teach me to bring my fears honestly to you and help me find my rest in Your faithful presence, and in You alone … no matter what. Amen.