Daily Devotional: Psalm 46

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Be Still and Know
Psalm 46

I love going on walks. It’s refreshing to breathe the air, enjoy the sunshine, and meet the neighbors. I find these times peaceful. Our state’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order, and others like it, has highlighted for me and my fellow Americans the danger surrounding COVID-19 by actually interrupting our lives. Going on walks feels different now since I need to keep six feet between my neighbor and me. I still go on walks, but I’m not actively seeking out neighbors to talk to. Six feet is six feet, and that distance doesn’t really encourage conversing with others. So how do I be still and know that God is God in the midst of circumstances that have altered an activity that I enjoy?

In Psalm 46:10, the passage commands God’s people to “be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth!” Before rushing into application of this verse, it’s vital to notice that there is a context for it. In verses 8-9, the Psalmist draws the attention of God’s people to two things: first, their God brings desolations on the earth (Psalm 46:8); second, he overthrows the nations that war against his people for all time (Psalm 46:9). These two points really expand upon verses 4-7 where the Psalmist pictures the Lord like a river, who flows within and around his people for protection against the raging nations. What does this mean for us?

If we allow the Lord’s Spirit to speak to us through Psalm 46, then this becomes an invitation to see God for who he really is and how he reveals himself by his actions. Why can we be still and know that God is God? According to verses 4-6, he dwells with us and around us as our protector, defender, and sustainer. In verses 8-9, he demonstrates his sovereign power over the earth and the nations for all time. In other words, our Lord is God in us, with us and for us. There’s an unmistakable echo here of Christ, and Romans 8:31-39 where nothing and no one can stand between us and our Savior. This of course includes COVID-19. Christ is my refuge from the virus and the fear that has gripped our world. I rest in him alone . . . not in walking.