“Only in God is my soul at rest;
I shall not be disturbed.”
The Psalm contrasts the appeal of
worldly pursuits against the tranquility
that is found in God alone.
“Only in God is my soul at rest.”
We are to open our hearts totally to
our Lord. We need not be 'disturbed'
at all by the vanity of riches or by seeking
success in wickedness and violence.
These attractions are fleeting; they
do not last; they are weightless in
their nothingness.
The one solid rock in our lives is God.
He alone is our stronghold, our salvation,
as our psalmist says. Even if a mother
should forget the child of her womb,
the Lord will never forsake us, as the
prophet Isaiah tells us in this Sunday's
1st reading.
We are all looking for inner peace, but the
world does not show us how to obtain it.
“Only in God be at rest, my soul.”
We do not put our faith in humans; worldly
success cannot last. Only in God do we put
our trust at all times, for our Lord will care
for us, clothe us, feed us, and give us spiritual
tranquility.
In the words of our Savior (this Sunday's Gospel),
“Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these
things will be given you besides.” Having put
our trust in the Lord, we pour out our hearts
before Him. “Rest in God alone my soul!”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. The Psalm reminds us not to be 'disturbed'
by worldly issues or things that are vain.
Speak about how you are doing along your faith
journey so that you put God first in your life.
2. Our psalmist sings about how we may obtain
true inner peace, "Only in God be at rest, my soul."
Explain how you are able to obtain inner peace and
healing by trusting only in God.
ReplyDeleteIn this crazy, unjust world, God is our rock. The attraction of wealth, and earthly success, are powerful. Here in Southern California, it's not difficult to see the ugliness and wickedness that go with the glorified life style of the Hollywood types. I recently saw a TV clip of a young popstar taken 4 or 5 years ago, and compared with a recent one. The first was of a nice, good looking, kind hearted, innocent, naive kid who wanted to do the right thing, as compared to the recent one showing a spoiled, arrogant, obnoxious rich brat that was used to getting anything and everything he wanted. What a shame and waste of a young person that had so much talent.
Obviously the world's riches and trappings of success, are not to be valued or sought after. "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God," is the true focus and goal for all of us.
Saint Augustine once said, "Our soul will be restless until we rest in God." The Psalmist, David, says the same thing in Psalm 62. If we open up our hearts totally to our God, we will not be disturbed by worldly desires to pursue wealth, honor, fame, success and prestige. Why ? All those things are mere "breath" in the eyes of God. They are not lasting and they are fleeting.
ReplyDeleteTrusting only in God and doing His work will have true, eternal value. He will reward us with relief in times of emotional stress. Knowing He is in control, He is our Rock and our Salvation. Having faith in Him instead of worldly pleasure we are able to obtain inner peace. He will reward each person according to what we have done while on earth.
Depending on your translation, this passage from Psalm 62 repeats the word "only" at least four times. The response we'll say at Mass is: "Rest in God alone, my soul." I am struck by the use of the words "only" and "alone." We are clearly instructed to trust God only... and rest in Him alone. There is no one else and nothing else.
ReplyDeleteSometimes, we can be so burdened by our greed or worldly worries that we turn to others for advice, even other Godly people. We may turn to devotionals or evangelistic TV programs. These are all tools for us that serve a great purpose, but they should direct us to the Lord.
In order to rest in true peace with our decisions or our life's paths, we are to turn to God ONLY. We keep our hearts and minds looking up and hearing what He sends down; we do not need to bother looking from side to side.
We all have our crosses to bear, I have had a heavy cross that I have been carrying for over 5 months. It gets lighter, then becomes heavy again. There I was at Mass singing along during the collection of gifts "Deep Within, I will plant my law, not on stone, but in your heart. Follow me; I will bring you back, You will be my own, and I will be your God. I will give you a new heart, a new spirit within you, for I will be your strength. See my face, and see your God, for I will be your hope. Return to me, with all your heart, and I will bring you back," when suddenly I felt my eyes welting up, and out of the blue I found myself crying uncontrollably. I believe it was our Lord speaking to me through the hymn, telling me to trust Him and he will provide the inner peace and healing that I need to lift the cross.
ReplyDelete