When my heart shakes
"Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Selah" (Psalms 62:8).
I remember a teaching that says we should be careful after receiving God’s grace. My heart was shaken after returning to the US in the midst of grace that I received in Korea as I was reaching out to people during the internet ministry in 2016. I saw myself getting depressed without knowing myself. Although my flesh tiredness was recovering a lot, but I didn’t know why my heart was getting depressed again. Then, as I was reading Psalms 62, I became interested in verse 3: “How long will you assault a man? Would all of you throw him down-- this leaning wall, this tottering fence?” The psalmist David was getting attack by his enemies. His enemies were united and attacked to kill David. And David described his situation as a “leaning wall” and “tottering fence”. The reason was that not only did his enemies tried to topple him from his lofty place but also they who delighted in lies blessed David with their mouths but in their heart they cursed him (v. 4). In other words, David's enemies tried to shake David, like shaking the shield, such as a wall or a fence to overturn. This is the Satan’s strategy and work. Satan is constantly attacking us and our hearts, which is the source of our lives (Prov. 4:23) in order to shake the walls and fences of our hearts. Also Satan continues to attack our hearts, diligently trying to make us discouraged, depressed, and even despairing. As a result, sometime our hearts shake. What should we do when our hearts shake?
First, when our hearts are shaken, we must quietly trust in God.
Look at Psalms 62:8a – “Trust in him at all times, O people ….” When our hearts are shaken by the attack of Satan, we must realize two truths at the same time: (1) that we should not depend on the riches even if increase (v. 10) but (2) that we should depend on God only. (vv. 1, 2, 5, 6). Satan attacks us many times, especially with the temptation of money. Especially when we are in material poverty, Satan diligently tempts us with money. Satan tempts us even to increase our wealth, and in the end Satan is trying to make us to serve both the Lord and the riches. This temptation of Satan can shake our hearts enough. But as the Bible says, we should not depend on wealth even though it increases (v. 10). Rather, we must rely solely on God, as David did (v. 8). When our hearts are shaken, we should look to Lord quietly (vv. 1, 5). We should only look to the Lord silently (vv. 2, 6). How is this possible? How can we only look to God when our hearts are shaken? The Scripture Psalms 42:5, 11 and 43:5 came to my mind: “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” I often pray to God like this. Especially when I am depressed and insecure in my mind, I will pray to God as I declare to my own soul: 'James, why are you downcast and why are you so disturbed within me?' When I do that, I experience God's help. I experienced God restoring my downcast and disturbed soul with His promise Word and raise me up. Likewise, when my heart shakes, I want to proclaim to my own soul and to go to God in prayer, like the psalmist David, “Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.” Why should we quietly look only to God? This is because "my salvation" and "my hope" come from the Lord (vv. 1, 5). The reason is that only the Lord is "my rock" and "my fortress" (vv. 2, 6). Therefore, we will not be shaken as we quietly trust God and gaze Him quietly (vv.2, 6). Rather, we will gain strength (Isa. 30:15).
Second and last, when our hearts are shaken we must pour our hearts to God.
Look at Psalms 62:8 – “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Selah.” Many members in the church are unable to share their concerns and struggles. The reason they cannot do this is because they know that when they share their concerns and struggles, what they have shared can become a rumor in the church and eventually hurts them. That’s why without sharing their hearts they just live day by day with their own struggles and troubles. The church needs to be a community of sharing, and it seems that there is not a church culture that can deeply share each other's struggles and troubles. It is a sad reality. But in this reality, we are not frustrated because we can go to God and pour out our hearts to Him. That’s why I like the hymn “Go, carry thy burden to Jesus”. This is what the chorus says: “O, steal away softly to Jesus, To Him let they heart be outpoured; Thy Father, who seeth in secret, Shall give thee a gracious reward.” How grateful we are that we can quietly go to Him and pour out our hearts. It is a privilege and a blessing for us to be able to cry out in prayer to our Lord who loves us the most and knows us best. The psalmist David has always encouraged the Israelites to trust in God and to pour out his heart before God because God is their refuge (v. 8). He was able to exhort them to pour out their hearts to God (v.7) because he trusted God who was his power and rock and refuge in the midst of his enemies attacking him (vv. 3-4). When he did so, David heard the word of God. The words that he heard were two: That power belongs to God (v. 11) and (2) Lovingkindness is God’s (v. 12). When we our hearts is shaken, we must pour out hearts to God as we trust Him. As we do so, we will be able to experience God’s power and God’s lovingkindness (Ps. 63:3).
We are like fading walls and shaking fences (62:3). Satan and our enemies are constantly attacking us (v. 3). They are deceitful fools who delight in falsehood and try to drop us from the faith (v. 4). They can make our hearts shake enough. In this time, we must quietly trust God (v. 8). We must look quietly to God who is our salvation and our hope (vv. 1, 5). And we must pour out our hearts before Him (v. 8). In doing so, God will hold onto our hearts by His power and lovingkindness (vv. 11-12). Therefore, we will no longer be shaken (vv. 2, 6).