It’s Friday! Let’s take one last look at our Psalm 46 and invite the Spirit to speak to us through the Word.
Psalm 46 (NIV)
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth. A song.
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.
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.
What images from Psalm 46 are most meaningful to you? What promises will you hold dear?
How can you turn Psalm 46 into a prayer for you or someone you love?
Connect
The events of 2020 have made many of us feel like we are adrift on a stormy sea in a flimsy life raft. We are holding on for dear life, hoping the seas will calm, but instead another wave washes over us. With COVID-19 cases on the rise again, it’s not clear when the waters will be calm.
Psalm 46 won’t help us predict an end to this virus and the upheaval it’s caused, but it reminds us that we have refuge in the middle of the storm. God is our strength and our help. He is our fortress in the battle and our safe harbor in a chaotic sea.
We can read Psalm 46, be comforted by its words and feel better for a moment. But if we don’t live in light of the reality it depicts, this psalm will be pretty words and little else. To enjoy the safety of a fortress, you must live inside it. To receive help, you must recognize your need for it and ask. To experience peace, you must stop fighting and be still. To experience the truth of Psalm 46, you must surrender to God in every area of your life. Yield to the Spirit, rest in his love, and walk according to his ways.
Respond
We’re over halfway through our Psalms Playlist. Take a moment to look up and review the Psalms we’ve enjoyed so far:
- Psalm 1
- Psalm 19
- Psalm 34
- Psalm 91
- Psalm 139
- Psalm 46
Which ones have resonated with you? Are there verses or concepts that are sticking with you? How are these Psalms directing your prayers? Shaping your thoughts? Affecting your actions?
