Psalm 46

1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.

3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.

7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

8 Come; behold the works of the Lord, what desolation he hath made in the earth.

9 He makes wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and cuts the spear in sunder; he burns the chariot in the fire.

10 Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen; I will be exalted in the earth.

11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah (KJV)

Sometimes as we study God’s Word, we just look at the words and apply them to our life. This Psalm was a song created for the worship of God.  It was probably written during the time that Assyria was attacking Judah under the reign of King Hezekiah.  In II Kings 19:35 “And it came to pass that night that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred four-score and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, they were all dead corpses.” might have set the stage for this psalm.  God is the subject of this song. The theme of this psalm starting with verse one and as it continues to the last verse it is God that takes care of us. God is our refuge and strength; then why do we fear? David’s theme in this Psalm is centered on the concept of faith. His faith was a total trust in God to intervene in every aspect of his life. He realized that nothing is too small or too large for the Lord.

Verse ten of this Psalm gives the believer the way of God to approach the troubles, which we face as we complete our journey upon the face of this earth. Be still and know that I am God is the advice that for several believers do not have the time available to practice. This is a way of God that will test our faith and the more we grow in this way the more we will see his hand in the smallest activities that we pursue. This goes against the wise old saying of “God helps those who help themselves”. The problem that most believers have with dealing with the everyday issues in life is that this wise old saying seems to have a greater impact on their life then verse ten does. Try waiting on God as a way of walking in his way.

Reading this Psalm, I reflect upon the last two chapters of the Bible. Revelation twenty-one starts with this verse ” And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth are passed away and the sea is no more. There is a time in the future where everything I have worked for will be destroyed, the works of both my hands and my mind. However, the one that overcomes can inherit the things of the new heaven and the new earth.  We need to stop (cease from fighting) striving for our earthly desires and behold the works of the Lord.   When the things of this earth slowly diminish as the focus of our journey in this world; then the light of the eternal treasures will grow even brighter in our life.