Faith in Focus #30
A reflection from Connection Church and other spiritual events from the week
Faith in Focus is a weekly reflection on what God has been teaching me throughout the week regarding my faith. Whether it’s personal interactions, reading, or the Sunday sermon, God speaks through it all, and I hope this helps you focus on His mission.
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Sermon Reflection
Fear has a way of exposing what we trust most. Psalm 62 invites us to loosen our grip on the fragile refuges of this world and find lasting rest in the God who alone is our rock, salvation, and fortress.
Based on the sermon by Jonathan Land, Connection Church Sioux Falls, May 31, 2026.
When the Turbulence Hits: Learning to Wait for God Alone
With 1 Corinthians now behind us, Connection Church begins its annual Summer in the Psalms series. This year starts with Psalm 62, a psalm often titled, “My Soul Waits for God Alone.” It’s a fitting place to begin because it addresses one of the most universal human struggles. Trust.
Pastor Jonathan opened with an image that was easy to picture. Imagine a passenger sitting on an airplane in severe turbulence. Every bump feels catastrophic. Every shake feels like the beginning of disaster. Their hands grip the armrests so tightly their knuckles turn white. They stare anxiously out the window, hoping the turbulence will stop.
Most of us can relate, even if we haven’t experienced that exact scenario. We know what it feels like to cling desperately to something when life becomes uncertain.
Yet there is a strange irony in that image. The passenger gripping the seat is trusting the wrong thing. The seat is not flying the plane. The armrest is not navigating the storm. The pilot is.
That analogy serves as a powerful picture of the Christian life. We often spend enormous amounts of energy clinging to things that were never designed to hold us up. Meanwhile, the One who truly carries us is already at work.
Psalm 62 calls us to stop trusting the seat and start trusting the Pilot.
The World Behind the Text
Psalm 62 is attributed to David, a man who knew instability better than most. Throughout his life he faced enemies, betrayal, political upheaval, family conflict, and seasons of deep personal failure.
The psalm itself suggests opposition. David describes enemies who seek to topple him from his position and delight in falsehood (Psalm 62:3-4). While we don’t know the exact historical setting, the language reflects someone under pressure, facing both external threats and internal temptations.
What makes the psalm remarkable is not the absence of danger. David never pretends everything is fine. Instead, he repeatedly directs his attention toward God.
The opening declaration sets the tone:
“For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation.” (Psalm 62:1, ESV)
The word “alone” appears repeatedly throughout the psalm. David is intentionally narrowing his focus. His security is not found partly in God and partly in something else. God is not one refuge among many. He is the refuge.
That emphasis challenges a tendency that has existed throughout human history. We often want God plus something else. God plus financial security. God plus approval from others. God plus success. God plus comfort.
David refuses that arrangement.
Walking the Passage
One of the most convicting points from Sunday’s sermon was the idea of identifying our substitutes for God. Jonathan posed a simple but penetrating question, “What would you justify sin for?”
Consider lying. Most people know dishonesty is wrong. Yet many of us still find moments where we are tempted to bend the truth. Why? Usually because something else has become more important than obedience.
Perhaps we lie to protect our reputation. Perhaps we lie to avoid consequences. Perhaps we lie to preserve a relationship. In that moment, the thing we are protecting has become a functional substitute for God.
The issue isn’t merely the lie. The lie reveals what we trust. Psalm 62 exposes this reality. David warns against trusting power, wealth, and human strength.
“Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them.” (Psalm 62:10, ESV)
The warning remains relevant today. We may not place our hope in robbery, but we can easily place our hope in careers, achievements, relationships, possessions, or personal comfort.
The problem with these refuges is not that they are inherently evil. The problem is that they cannot bear the weight we place upon them.
Every worldly refuge eventually fails. Money can disappear. Relationships can change. Health can decline. Careers can end. Public approval can vanish overnight.
David points us toward the only refuge that cannot be shaken.
“He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.” (Psalm 62:6, ESV)
Notice the confidence of that statement. David doesn’t say he MIGHT not be shaken. He says he SHALL not be shaken. That confidence doesn’t come from his circumstances. It comes from the character of God.
Jonathan encouraged us to practice what he called “self recall.” In other words, preach God’s promises to yourself. This is something David models throughout the psalm. Rather than allowing fear to dictate his thoughts, he deliberately reminds himself who God is.
When suffering comes, remember God’s faithfulness.
When loneliness arrives, remember God’s presence.
When temptation presses in, remember God’s promises.
When anxiety grows louder, remember God’s sovereignty.
The Christian life often involves speaking truth to our own hearts before we speak it to anyone else.
A Fair Counter-Reading
Some readers might hear Psalm 62 and conclude that trusting God means passively waiting for life to improve. If God is our refuge, does that mean we simply do nothing?
That interpretation misses the larger biblical picture.
Throughout Scripture, trusting God and acting faithfully go hand in hand. David trusted God deeply, yet he still fought battles, led people, prayed fervently, and made difficult decisions.
Waiting on God is not inactivity. It is dependence.
The difference lies in where our confidence rests. We work, serve, plan, and act, but we don’t place our ultimate hope in those efforts. Our confidence remains anchored in God rather than ourselves.
Psalm 62 is not a call to laziness. It is a call to surrender.
The Turn
Perhaps the most practical application from this week centered on prayer.
Many Christians unintentionally reduce prayer to a transaction. We bring requests. We offer thanks. Then we move on.
Yet the Psalms consistently present prayer as something far richer.
David doesn’t hide his emotions from God. He brings everything before Him.
Fear.
Anger.
Disappointment.
Confusion.
Joy.
Gratitude.
Hope.
Psalm 62:8 offers a beautiful invitation:
“Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.” (Psalm 62:8, ESV)
Pouring out your heart means holding nothing back. God already knows your frustrations. He already knows your doubts. He already knows your fears.
Prayer isn’t about informing God. It’s about bringing our hearts honestly before Him. At the same time, biblical prayer doesn’t stop with emotional honesty. It ultimately moves toward surrender.
Jesus modeled this perfectly in the Garden of Gethsemane when He prayed, “not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39, ESV).
That is where Psalm 62 leads us as well.
Trusting God means believing that His will is wiser than ours, even when the turbulence continues. It means believing that He sees what we cannot. It means believing that He remains in control when circumstances feel chaotic.
Most importantly, it means believing that our salvation rests not in our ability to hold on to Him, but in His ability to hold on to us.
Carry It Into the Week
Every one of us has a tendency to white-knuckle something.
For some, it’s financial security. For others, it’s a relationship. For others, it’s comfort, control, success, or approval.
Psalm 62 gently but firmly asks a difficult question, “What are you gripping that was never designed to carry your weight?”
The invitation isn’t simply to let go. The invitation is to transfer your trust.
God never asks us to abandon false refuges without providing a better one. He offers Himself. The God who sustained David. The God who fulfilled His promises through Christ. The God who knows every fear, every disappointment, and every struggle you carry.
When the turbulence comes, and it will come, remember the truth David discovered long ago.
“My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from him.” (Psalm 62:5, ESV)
The Pilot hasn’t lost control. The destination hasn’t changed.
And the One guiding your story can be trusted.
Song of the Week: Stigmata - Convictions
Convictions is a newer find for me when it comes to Christian music, and it is easily the heaviest Christian music I have ever heard. Which is probably why it works so well for me. Over the last few years, I’ve become increasingly convicted about the music I consume. Lyrics matter. Messages matter. What we repeatedly fill our minds with has an impact on us whether we realize it or not. At the same time, I have never been able to shake my love for hard hitting riffs, heavy breakdowns, and music that carries a certain intensity. For a while it felt like those two desires were at odds with one another. Then I discovered Convictions.
Convictions gives me the best of both worlds. They deliver the kind of heaviness that I naturally gravitate toward while also centering their music on biblical truth, redemption, and the Gospel. Their songs aren’t heavy just for the sake of being heavy. There is purpose behind the aggression and meaning behind every lyric.
I was first introduced to Convictions while covering a Demon Hunter concert, which you can read more about here. Their energy was contagious, but it was more than just a great live performance. The passion behind what they were singing felt genuine. It wasn’t simply entertainment. It felt like a testimony being delivered through distorted guitars and screamed vocals. As someone who spends a lot of time around live music, that authenticity stands out.
Enter “Stigmata,” a song about, you guessed it, the stigmata. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, it refers to, in Catholic tradition, the bodily wounds corresponding to those suffered by Jesus during His crucifixion. The song uses that imagery to point listeners directly back to Christ’s sacrifice. The chorus absolutely grabs me every time:
“Stigmata! His scars are the proof. No matter what you say, His words are the truth. Stigmata! Push these nails through. I sing for the Son.”
It’s a guttural reminder of what Christ did for each and every one of us. The brutality of the music almost serves as a reflection of the brutality of the cross itself. We often sanitize the crucifixion in our minds, reducing it to a familiar symbol we see every Sunday. But Christ’s sacrifice was violent, painful, and costly. Songs like this force us to confront that reality in a way that feels raw and unfiltered.
I know that some people won’t enjoy how heavy this song really is, and that’s completely understandable. Heavy music has always been a niche genre, especially within Christian circles. But personally, when I read some of the laments and cries for help throughout the Psalms, I can’t help but imagine David pouring out those words with a similar intensity. These weren’t polished, reserved prayers. They were desperate cries from a man who was afraid, angry, heartbroken, repentant, and completely dependent on God. While David may not have had distorted guitars and breakdowns, the emotions behind many of his Psalms feel anything but quiet.
That’s why I’ve always believed that the genre itself is secondary to the message being proclaimed. We can debate musical styles all day long, but we shouldn’t dismiss the truth being communicated simply because it comes packaged in a form we don’t personally enjoy. Even if screaming vocals and punching riffs aren’t your thing, the lyrics still point directly toward Christ and the hope found in Him.
One line that stands out to me is, “I lay my burdens at the tree. Only in death am I set free.” At first glance, it sounds incredibly morbid, but it captures a foundational truth of the Christian faith. We are called to die to ourselves, surrender our own desires, and place our burdens at the foot of the cross. Freedom isn’t found in holding tighter to our struggles; it’s found in giving them over to the One who already carried them for us. Every sin, every fear, every failure can be brought before Christ, knowing that His grace is sufficient.
And the beautiful thing is that He never asks us to carry those burdens alone. Time and time again, Scripture reminds us that God is present with His people. In seasons of joy, suffering, uncertainty, and victory, He remains faithful. That reality is summed up perfectly in the final stanza of the song, “Kingdom Come, Thy will be done.” It’s a statement of surrender, trust, and hope. A recognition that God’s plans are greater than our own and that His kingdom is worth pursuing above everything else.
No matter how chaotic life becomes, no matter how heavy the burden feels, Christ is still on the throne. His scars remain the proof. His promises remain true. And His presence remains constant for those who call upon His name.
Week in Reflection
This week was an amazing reminder of how God works through community. Over the course of several evenings, I had the opportunity to spend time with friends watching movies, playing pickleball, sharing meals, and simply talking late into the night. None of those moments were particularly extraordinary on their own, but together they became a powerful reminder of how God often uses the ordinary things in life to accomplish something extraordinary in our hearts.
It can be easy to overlook the value of these seemingly small moments. We often think life changing experiences have to come through major events, dramatic breakthroughs, or significant accomplishments. Yet God frequently works through simple conversations, shared laughter, and faithful friendships. A casual game, a movie night, or an honest discussion about life can become a source of encouragement exactly when it’s needed most.
One of the greatest blessings from this week was being reminded that I have friends who are more than just people to spend time with. They are people who are willing to walk through life together. They celebrate victories, listen during struggles, and provide support when things become difficult. When depression, anxiety, discouragement, or hardship begin to creep in, having a community of people who genuinely care can make an incredible difference. Their presence serves as a reminder that I do not have to carry life’s burdens alone.
This is one of the reasons Scripture places such an emphasis on Christian community. Hebrews 10:24-25 encourages believers to consider how to stir one another up to love and good works and to not neglect meeting together. God never intended for us to navigate life in isolation. From the very beginning, He created us for relationship first with Him and then with one another. Christian community isn’t simply a nice addition to our faith; it’s an essential part of how God strengthens, encourages, and matures us.
Looking back on this week, I am thankful for the friendships God has placed in my life. The conversations, laughter, competition on the pickleball court, and shared experiences may seem small in the grand scheme of things, but they have served as tangible reminders of God’s goodness and provision. Through these relationships, God continues to point me toward Christ and remind me that I am never alone.
My prayer for those reading is that you would find and invest in a community of Christ centered friends who encourage your faith and walk alongside you through every season of life. We were never meant to do life alone. God designed us to live in community, supporting one another, bearing one another’s burdens, and continually pointing each other back to Jesus.
And always remember, God loves you, and so do I.
Connection Church in Sioux Falls is a gospel-centered community committed to helping people follow Jesus through authentic relationships, biblical teaching, and everyday mission. Rooted in historic Christian belief and aligned with gospel renewal movements, the church exists to see lives transformed by Jesus. Learn more: https://siouxfallsconnection.com/who-we-are
