My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 46
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire.
10 “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 of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
In this psalm, we have seen the protection, provision, availability and declaration of the Lord. The psalmist continues with a description of God providing the help, and that right early, even as the dawn breaks. The wars are raging, yet He causes them to cease. He breaks the weapons of warfare, and destroys the implements to enter into battle.
This psalm is speaking to the saint only. The heathen will not care for or even desire to read of this victory to be provided to the saint. For the saint, on the other hand, this passage speaks of a strength we cannot understand, that we cannot muster up in our own energies, or that is available in any other but God.
This strength is gained in the saint, by beholding the works of the Lord, and of the desolations He has caused. Even in the desolations, God has created something beautiful, in that the cultures or societies that did fade and disappear were rescued by the gospel, where the city of God provided a refuge for those who desired to put down their arms, to leave war behind and to experience joy and peace.
He makes wars to cease unto the ends of the earth. As the declaration of the gospel moved unto the ends of the earth, the influence of a peaceful, joy filled body impacted the societies they were a part of, as it should be today. But I fear we look unto God as a warrior not unlike a great human leader, who controls by fear and domination.
Is that your God?
Be still, and know that He is God. Be still, my friend. Consider who your God is.
He is not One who overpowers you, shouts out His demands, dominating and forcing Himself in a overbearing fashion, subjugating and vanquishing you by authority or fear! His presence and character is found in the Lord Jesus Christ, the full revelation and expression of God’s nature, of His sacrificial love to His enemies, in the self denying acceptance of death on a cross for those who hung Him there.
Is that how you see God?
When you think of God, do you see Him like James and John, who wanted to bring fire down on the Samaritans? Or is your God the One who rebukes that thinking, and instead reaches out, conquering enemies, making wars cease, through loving kindness and truth.
He is looking for those who will be still, who will remove the distractions and noise, who want to understand our loving, kind God.
Paul provides his thoughts on “being still” in a passage that shocked me when I first read it. 2 Corinthians speaks of the saint being transformed. Of course I entered into reading this passage thinking are to be transformed through ministry, service, sacrifice and self denial. The greater my service the more I am loved, and therefore the more I become like Him.
What poppycock! (That means garbage for those who are mystified by my words!)
Let’s consider the passage.
2 Corinthians 3:18
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
You see, Paul, like the psalmist, speaks of us “beholding the glory of the Lord”, and in this looking, or staring at the Lord and His character, His works, His actions, and all that He has done, through looking (and not our efforts!) we are transformed!
As the psalmist began this wonderful psalm, we are to remember that He is a very present help, that He is “findable”, and in the finding, we shall be transformed into His likeness.
Only the Lord would take on this gargantuan task, allowing a sinner like myself to find Him, to be given the privilege to begin to behold Him and to enter into a growing realization that the God we serve is ever present and able to transform us into His likeness.
Take time to find Him today, to be still, to behold the glory of the Lord in His sacrificial life!
He is good, all the time!
Thanks again for coming to visit. I hope you found something of interest in this post and would appreciate a comment, to begin a discussion.
Considering the Bible 
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