Have you ever found yourself spinning out of control with worry or fear? Have you felt that anxiety swell inside you to the point that you wonder how to take your next breath? I know I have. I’ll get so worked up about the problems and the issues I see before me. And before I know it, I’ve jumped to action not because I have a plan or because God has led me to something amazing. But instead, I jump into action because I was too anxious to wait, too afraid to trust, and too deceived to believe.  

I think we all do this. When life gets hard, that’s when our faith is tested the most. We feel this sense of urgency to move forward instead of just sitting still and waiting on God. When the pressure is on, the last thing we want to do is stop, wait, and be silent. 

That’s why I love how this passage starts out. David commands his soul to “wait in silence for God alone.” He then goes on to remind himself (and us) of how faithful, strong, and safe God really is.  

Wait in silence… Does that sit funny with you like it does with me? Not only am I to wait, but in silence? Ouch… that stings a bit. See, not only am I not great at waiting, but I often fall into the trap of erroneously believing that God needs my input, my suggestions, and my opinions for Him to make the best choice. I can’t tell you how many times I have talked and talked and talked, when all God really wanted was for me to just sit still and listen.  

Psalm 46:10 is one of my favorite verses. It’s one I need to repeat to myself over and over again. In the NASB it says, “Stop striving and know that I am God;”  

Stop striving…  

See, if we’re constantly going, constantly talking, and constantly striving, then we aren’t trusting God. We can’t. Because in the striving, we are trying to fix it on our own. We are trying to be the master of our own destiny. We are trying to be our own gods. And so, we trade the perfect leading of the perfect God for the imperfect leading of our imperfect hearts.  

That’s why David reminds himself to wait on God alone. He reminds himself over and over who God really is, as if to remind himself what he is waiting for. Nothing less than the perfect God is enough. Wait… just wait for the true, powerful, perfect God who always comes through.  

Our God is so good. You can trust Him and His timing. As David reminds himself in this passage, God is our hope, our rock, our salvation, and our refuge. Don’t settle for anything less no matter how good it sounds in the moment. Wait, rest, and trust. God’s got you. He sees you and knows what you need. He will not forget or forsake you. Trust Him and He will always come through.