God is my only hope

A couple of months back I returned to listening to a psalm a day.  This time around I've been struck by something new: again and again the Psalmist affirms that God is his only hope.

Take yesterday's psalm, Psalm 62, as an example:

¹ For God alone my soul waits in silence;
    from him comes my salvation.
² He alone is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress; I shall never be shaken.

³ How long will you assail a person,
    will you batter your victim, all of you,
    as you would a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
⁴ Their only plan is to bring down a person of prominence.
    They take pleasure in falsehood;
they bless with their mouths,
    but inwardly they curse.Selah

⁵ For God alone my soul waits in silence,
    for my hope is from him.
⁶ He alone is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
⁷ On God rests my deliverance and my honor;
    my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.

⁸ Trust in him at all times, O people;
    pour out your heart before him;
    God is a refuge for us.Selah

⁹ Those of low estate are but a breath,
    those of high estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
    they are together lighter than a breath.
¹⁰ Put no confidence in extortion,
    and set no vain hopes on robbery;
    if riches increase, do not set your heart on them.

¹¹ Once God has spoken;
    twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
¹²     and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord.
For you repay to all
    according to their work.

Again and again, the psalmist affirms that he can only get out of whatever pickle he's in if God helps him: anything else is in vain.  In various psalms he notes that there are those whose hope is not in God who seem to be doing well, but he feels certain that their prosperity is only temporary.  God is the only hope, the only source of what we need.

I've found this both an encouraging and challenging thought as I've gone through life these past few months.  Encouraging that God is sufficient.  Challenging in that I often put my hope and trust in more temporal things, rather than "seek[ing] first God's Kingdom".