When I was little, my family would visit an old-timey seafood restaurant every time we went to the beach.
It had aquariums of exotic fish in the lobby and yummy popcorn shrimp on the kid’s menu, but my favorite part was that it boasted its very own alligator, named George.
George lived in the lake behind the restaurant and everyone knew he loved their hushpuppies.
So after scarfing down our dinner, we’d sidle up to a chain link fence with our leftovers, just hoping he’d make an appearance.
I remember being warned, though, “don’t lean on the fence.”
After all, that rickety chain link was the only thing standing between us and danger—and I’m sure neither parents nor restaurant wanted to see what would happen if it ever toppled.
In the years since my childhood, George has passed and the restaurant has changed, but that rickety, slightly tilting fence still comes to mind when I read Psalm 62:3. In this verse, David describes himself as a “leaning wall,” a “tottering fence.”
And honestly, don’t we sometimes feel the same way?
At times, our strength does feel rickety, like an old fence about to topple, and we wish we could post a sign to our circumstances, saying “stop leaning in on me.”
But whenever we feel this way, the truths in Psalm 62:2 have the ability to reassure us.
David says of God, “He alone is my rock, my salvation and my fortress. I will never be greatly shaken.” (Psalm 62:2, WEB)
Our strength may be as rickety as an old fence, but David reminds us: our strength is not the only thing standing between us and danger.
It is God Himself who secures us.
He is our rock, our salvation and our fortress.
These 3 aspects of who God is bring great stability to even our most unsettled moments.
God is our rock.
When we face the pressure and turbulence of change, God remains steady and unchanging—like a foundation stone or a firmly-fixed bolder.
The attributes we see describing Him in Scripture are just as true of Him today.
He was just back then, so He will also be just today.
He was loving and merciful then, so He will remain loving and merciful toward his people now.
God’s character and care are constants in the believer’s life.
So if our strength is insufficient for our circumstances and we feel like tottering, leaning fences, so be it. Just let us lean our tottering selves upon the Rock and we will stand steady, despite our frailty.
God is our salvation.
When I think of things that make us quake and threaten to topple us over, I have to include giants sin and death on the list.
Yet David, who had seen God rescue him from his own giant, reminds us: our giants are not bigger than our God.
On the contrary, He has defeated and given us victory over them!
No matter how fearfully the grave looms before us, death cannot actually touch us.
And no matter how forcefully temptation presses in, we do not have to let it topple us.
God has saved us from the power of sin and death.
Since God is our salvation, we can say along with David, “I will never be greatly shaken.”
God is our fortress.
Admittedly, there are some trials and temptations that make us feel less like tottering fences and more like children trapped in a fence with an alligator.
What do we do when we are in full-on crisis? When danger stalks us and we see no way of escape?
David reminds us we can run into God, our fortress.
You know, the word “fortress” conjures up the image of a solid, stone tower standing tall and unshaken by an enemy’s assault.
And that is what God is for us.
When we see no way out of the trial, we are invited to step into the tower of God’s presence within the trial.
True. When we hide ourselves in Him, we may still technically be in the same circumstances, but now we are in God in the circumstances. His strength stands between us and danger like a shield—and that changes how we navigate the trial.
Because God is our fortress, we can let down our guard and rest our frayed nerves. We can stop having to be the “strong one” and let God be strong for us.
We can stand steady and unafraid when everything around us is shaking because of who our God is.
You know, the three truths David proclaims in Psalm 62:2 are more than just nice reminders. They are invitations into a more secure life.
I pray we accept the invitation by turning to Him.
May God’s unchanging goodness be our stability, salvation and place of safety today.
This devotion is based on one of the Scriptures from my reading plan: “Summer Soundtrack” on the Psalms. To receive a copy of the reading plan (and future reading plans), sign up for the email list below. Hope you’ll follow along!
©2024 Paige K. Burhans
Scriptures taken from the World English Bible. Public Domain.
