Psalm 46: Be Still and Know that I Am God

Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

The question for us this morning is this: how is it possible to be still? This world is scary. Day by day, we are confronted with things that terrify us. How can we simply be still? How can we be calm, fearless, and comforted though everything around us seems like it is falling apart? How can we stand when the ground beneath us is quaking? How can we have hope amidst hopeless times? The solution is this: Knowing that that God is God.

Psalm 46:10 (quoted above) is often a verse we take out of context, but when we put it in its context, it makes the verse all the more beautiful. In Psalm 46, the psalmist is considering the great calamities that happen in the world both in nature (verses 1-3) and in the nations (that is, his enemy nations that rise against him, verses 4-7). David is recollecting on how sometimes on this earth, "the earth gives way" and "the mountains move." In other words, great natural disasters come upon this earth that are terrifying. In today's culture, we don't fear natural events that much because of our modern technology. However, think of it in David's time: an earthquake could wipe away an entire city. Furthermore, even in our day, remember Hurricane Katrina? Surely natural disasters are terrifying in our day as well. How can we be still?

Furthermore, the psalmist here considers the great enemy nations that rise against him. "The nations rage, the kingdoms totter" says the psalmist. How can there be hope when nations are rising against him? Futhermore, how can there be hope when nations are rising against us? America is often at war. The world is always at war. Futhermore, America is often at war with itself. How can we be at peace? How can we be still?

The answer is this: knowing that God is who he says he is. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way" (Ps. 46:1-2a). How can we learn to be still? By knowing that he is God, that is, he is a very present help in our time of need. This great Lord "breaks the bow and shatters the spear," that is, he thwarts the plans of our enemies. Furthermore, he is a God who will be exalted (verse 10), and thus we need not fear because his is the victory. Amidst all of the troubles of this life, we can know that "The Lord of hosts [armies] is with us" (Ps. 46).

So, what are you fearing today? Perhaps its nature, perhaps its an enemy, or perhaps neither or both. Whatever it is, I encourage you to be still, knowing that is God who he says he is. He is God: a very present help in time of trouble. Rest in him, and do not fear.

Two Super Cool Side Notes:

1) Ever heard of Martin Luther (I hope so!!). His famous hymn, "A Mighty Fortress is Our God," was based on this psalm. Talk about seeing the Lord as a refuge. Luther rose against the Roman Catholic church for the sake of true Christianity, both against the culture and his own friends and family. Nevertheless, he knew that the Lord was his refuge, and that although he was at war with the world, the Lord was his mighty fortress.

2) Shane and Shane have put this psalm to music. It's truly moving. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lH2IJEY1sY