Be still and know that He is God

Psalm 46

God Is Our Fortress

To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A Song.

1God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.

4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

8 Come, behold the works of the LORD,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
10 "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 of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

I was led to reading this psalm during Sunday's worship service its meaning struck me afresh. As I read, a mental backdrop began to form, its vividness provoking a sense of fear and awe...

"earth gives way... mountains be moved into the heart of the sea... waters roar and foam... mountains tremble at its swelling... nations rage, kingdoms totter, desolation, wars, chariots, fire... "

Such unrest and turmoil! Even nature seems to rebel and its floodgates of fury unleashed!

Funny how the backdrop seems to come into sharp focus for me. Maybe its due to the current situations in China and Myanmar. Hurricane Katrina and the Tsunami in Aceh don't seem too far away either. Not to mention the war-zone-like living conditions in many countries.

What i somehow failed to see however, was the subject of the psalm. "GOD is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Within the wrath of nature sits Christ..."he utters his voice, the earth melts". This reminds me of when Jesus stilled the storm with His word (Mk 4:35-41).

More amazing though is how He calls us to come see... "behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought desolations on the earth". All the catastrophes, wars, etc. everything is under his sovereign control. He calls us to look at everything straight in the eye and see.... God's hand at work. To see His unfathomable will is being carried out. But this is often so difficult to stomach that we cry out, "But Lord, how could You?! How could you send this much suffering into the world? How could you put me through so much as well??"

Funny how the backdrop of life seems to jump straight into the foreground, drowning out Christ, the person we should be focusing upon. But amidst all the chaos and sin (ours), He promises to eventually bring peace ("He makes wars cease...he breaks the bow an shatters the spear...") and most importantly, He says...

"Be still, and know that I am God."

Be still and know that He is God. On the road to Golgotha, through blood and sweat pouring down his brow, through the unimaginable pain and suffering, I can imagine Jesus whispering these words to His disciples... "Be still and know that I am God".

In the cold of the stone inner prison, with their feet fastened securely in the stocks (Acts 16:22-25), that might have been on the minds of Paul & Silas. And they even followed the next portion of that verse--"I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" So there they were, praying and singing hymns to God. What great faith in the Word of the Lord!

So how am I responding in the crises of life? Do I let the backdrop of suffering cloud my vision? Or will I be still and know that He is God....