Be still and know God

Psalm 46 is said to be a song written by the sons of Korah. Korah, along with Dathan and Abiram, was a Levite who led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron. Korah’s sons did not join in the rebellion and were spared the fate of their father and his accomplices. The sons of Korah, as Levites, were involved in the worship of God’s people in the temple and were involved in the singing. Eleven of the psalms are attributed to them. Of note is that this is a song that we still sing part of today.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” (Psalms 46:1-3 NIV)

Many parts of the world experience severe flooding. When this happens the tendency is to despair. The loss of life and loss of all possessions reminds us of Job and what he went through, to have everything suddenly taken away. When this happens where do we go? There really is only one we can turn to: God is our “ever-present help in trouble”. Because he is there we don’t need to worry about anything that might happen to us, despite how desperate it may seem.

“There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Psalms 46:4-7)

Although rivers can cause great devastation, they are necessary because water sustains life. There were streams which brought water to Jerusalem where the temple was located. God would provide the strength and help for his people. Around us all may seem to be in turmoil, but as long as we are with God, we have a fortress that no-one can overcome.

“Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’ The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” (Psalms 46:8-11)

What is the solution to the wars that rage throughout the world? The only one who can bring real peace is God. He is the one who can make wars cease. In the conflicts we see in the world today, the way to real lasting peace is for everyone to follow God. This may seem simplistic but this is the reality. If all were following God there would be no need for wars and conflicts.

It is time for wars to cease, for all mankind to “Be still, and know that I am God”. Whatever conflict we are engaged in, whether it is conflict between nations or conflict with another person, we need to stop, to be still, and realise that God is the only solution to conflict and the only hope for the world.

Often wars and conflicts cause God’s people to stop trying to reach these countries with the good news of Jesus. But isn’t this exactly what they need in order to bring an end to the conflict? We need to exalt the name of God among all the nations so that he is exalted throughout the earth. He is with us and he is our fortress. With God we can’t go wrong.

Image by geralt from pixabay.com. Free for use.

Readings for next week: Psalms 46-59