Читать книгу Passages for Inner Peace - Tom McKinley - Страница 7
Оглавление“My soul, wait thou only upon God;
For my expectation is from him.
He only is my rock and my salvation.”
(Psalm 62:5–6, King James Version)
We must ask ourselves, “What will give me peace?” Inner peace – that state of contentment and calm, of freedom from anxiety, of enjoying the present while trusting in the future – is something which we are all searching for, often unconsciously, in the frenetic pace of 21st century life. Reaching for our cell phones as soon as we wake up, checking messages on the phones while typing at our computers, going from thoughts of work to family to bills in just a few seconds – we have been brought so far from the idea of inner peace that the concept seems unrealistic. We have been conditioned to think that peace is temporary, coming in small units of time, and that once that time or feeling runs out, we have to somehow buy it again.
But inner peace cannot be bought. In fact, the messages of the Bible destroy the idea that money can buy anything permanent. While the inner peace offered to us by God cannot be acquired through money, it is also the only inner peace that lasts forever. Jesus says, in the Gospel of Matthew, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28, KJV). Likewise, the speaker in the psalm says to his own soul, “wait thou only upon God,” adding, “He only is my rock.”
There is no pill, no drink, no retail therapy that provides this permanent inner peace for the soul, or salvation for our future life. That stable, steadfast feeling of inner peace in this life and the next is only fully achieved through having faith in God and growing closer to him. And we grow closer to God through prayer, through reading the Psalms and other books of the Bible, through thinking deeply about God’s work, and by acting in the way the Lord has instructed us.
I like the way the psalmist says, “But my expectation is from him.” The word “expectation” has gathered a negative quality over the years; it sounds like a demand. However, in its nature, the word is positive. “Expect” comes from the Latin words ex and spectare, meaning “out” and “to look.” Hence, to expect is to look for, to seek, to hope for. Part of our relationship with God involves looking out for his grace, looking out for the peace that he will bring to us. We do not “demand” these things – it would be pointless to demand anything – but we should look for this peace, ask for it, and have the faith-based certainty that it will come. To feel expectancy is to feel faith, and faith is our defense against fear. It is also the root of our optimism that life will get better, and that a better life awaits us with God. The more we “expect,” or look out, for God, the more inner peace we have. As the psalm says, “In God is my salvation and my glory” (Psalm 62:7, KJV). We are not just saved, but we are saved in glory.
Further reflections
As the psalm comes to an end, we have the powerfully concise verse,
God hath spoken once;
Twice have I heard this.
(Psalm 62:11, KJV)
The meaning is symbolic. When the voice of God speaks, we do not only hear it once; rather, it echoes in our minds. When you pray and read the Bible, make sure to find an atmosphere of stillness and silence, where the peace around you reminds you of the peace you can find within. Listen closely to God’s word echoing in your mind, along with the expectancy of his favor, on your journey to the inner peace that he alone can give you.
