Stillness in the storm.

In house group last night we were looking at Psalm 46. It is the Psalm that features the following verse:
"Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth." (Ps 46:10 NIV)

As we discussed this I began to notice that the author of this Psalm was not preaching at us from some lofty height of spiritual isolation; it is clear from the preceding nine verses that he is in the thick of it. Who knows what the situation that he faced was – it could have been that his city was under siege or that he felt under siege, or that he could be facing a battle in which his life was in the balance – but whatever I was it is clear that he did not feel at ease and he felt alone; fear separating him from the closeness of God’s presence.

Does this sound familiar to you?
Does this sound like your days?

I can associate with this and it was refreshing to realise that the words of this Psalm do not judge me, they encourage me. Here, even though he is surrounded by chaos and his mind kept awake with the concerns of reality, he declares the sovereignty of God over his life; he reminds himself that it is God that can melt the things that cause our hearts to melt [in fear]. As he does this God takes him [securely] by the hand saying, “Be still and know that I am God…”

Today we can do the same, and in the stillness of God’s peace we encounter His [releasing and strengthening] majesty again.

- Andrew Carey