Be Still? In This?
Opening Prayer
Loving Lord, I praise You today that You are always with me to help me, especially in the tough times.
Read Psalm 46:1-11
[1] For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth. A song. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. [2] Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, [3] though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. [4] There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. [5] God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. [6] Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. [7] The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. [8] Come and see what the LORD has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. [9] He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. [10] He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” [11] The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION
Reflect
How does the psalmist describe God here?This psalm opens with the familiar words “God is our refuge and strength” (1). It closes with the same idea (11), and v. 10 advises us to “be still, and know that I am God.” Here are two key thoughts which provide great advice for us when we are facing uncertainty or upheaval. But how can we “be still” and “know” God as our refuge? It’s often not as simple as it sounds! Here the psalmist has clearly seen turmoil in the form of natural disasters (2,3) and military battles (6,9). And yet, his focus is not on the disasters themselves, but on the God who rises above them (4-9). We may only have experienced disaster secondhand through the pictures on our TV screens, but most of us know all too well the reality of inner turmoil. We can learn a lot from the psalmist here. The more we focus on what God is doing in the world around us, the less we will be rocked by the areas of turmoil where we cannot (yet) see him working. And instead of being transfixed by fear, like deer caught in the headlights, we can become people who are “stilled” by our trust in God.
Apply
When has God saved you from trouble? Make your own prayer from v. 2: “I will not fear even if ….”
Closing prayer
Lord, may I always trust You as my “refuge and fortress.” Plant that assurance deep within my heart and mind.
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