WATCHWORD:
1 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. Psalm 46:1-3
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. Psalm 46:4-7
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. Psalm 46:8-9
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. Psalm 46:10-11
Meditation:
Psalm 46
Martin Luther had a great saying about Psalm 46 when he was in great distress. He said, “Let us sing the forty-sixth psalm in concert; and then let the devil do his worst.”
Psalm 46; broken into four parts, each one with a familiar ring to it. We probably have heard homilies or sermons on each one of those passages.
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Ding a’ ling, heard that before. A call for confidence and security, in the Lord. Here the poet (Isaiah) begins with God’s provision. He looked to God for help in difficult times and found it. He will not fear, even as he faced difficulties in his life that seemed overwhelming.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. Now there is a verse that really preaches. Streams of living water making glad, even joyful, all those who worship the one true God. Streams of living water – the Word of God.
This Psalm was written at a time when Jerusalem was being threatened by the King of Babylon. The image of a river as a constant source and provision is significant because Jerusalem does not have a river. in fact water was in precious supply. The City of God is glad because life-giving water, the Word and the Lord, is always present, protecting against the evil that threatens. “Let the devil do his worst”.
“Come and see what the Lord has done.” You can almost imagine this passage as part of a conversation between Andrew and Jesus. John the Baptist had just pointed Andrew to the Lord, and said, follow Him. Then they go with Jesus to his home and saw what the Lord has done, indeed. He has built the ‘house’ where we now reside. Amen.
However, this Psalm and each passage was written more than 500 years before Jesus speaks to Andrew. More to the point, this is a call to consider all that God has made, and to consider what the wrath of God laid waste in death and destruction.
“Be still, and know that I am God” is a passage that we should embrace daily. This is not a request to stay calm and confident, it is a command. When we cannot find God in the midst of our frenzied life, being silent and still are needed to hear Him, so that His children may “know” He is present and has a plan for the future. “Be still, and know that I am God”: Twin commands to not panic and recognize His sovereignty, directed to His people for comfort and security, and all others for warning.
Matthew Henry tells us that this Psalm encourages us to hope and trust in God, and his power, and providence, and His gracious presence with His church in the worst of times, and directs us to give Him the glory for what he has done for us and what he will do. Amen.
Closing Prayer:
Faithful and present God, you are not blind to the storms that rage in this world, the illness that threatens. Some are visible to the eye, but others are hidden in our heart. Lord, bring your refuge and healing strength. Make me still in your safety.
When what seems permanent begins to crumble, when devastation ravages the earth, when powers that be claim your authority – let us remember the joy you have set before us. Lord, help us to let go of fear and doubt. Make us still in your waters of gladness.
God, Creator of time, we hurry from task to task, from crisis to crisis, carrying the weight of the world. Or in this new season of quarantine, we let time pass without meaning. But the world is yours, and everything in it. Let us lay down both what keeps us too busy to be still and stillness that is void before you so that we may lift our eyes to your glory. Lord, we come into your presence. Make us still in you. Amen.
