March 10, 2022 (Lent Week 1)

 

Artwork by Mark Lawrence based on Psalm 46 vs. 1

PSALM 46 (NIV) 

1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  

2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,  

3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.  

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.  

5 God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.  

6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.  

7 The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.  

8 Come and see what the LORD has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth.  

9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.  

10 He says, “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 Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

While reading the scriptures provided for today, I was brought back to Psalm 46 and how it seems to relate to all that we see happening around us. Psalm 46 has been referred to as a “Psalm for uncertain times” which really seems to fit our world at this present moment. It is hard to see through all the “noise” in our world.

In Psalm 46 we are reminded that we are in both the desert and in the Promised Land. In short, this Psalm is a strong affirmation of trusting God in the most troublesome situations. The opening statement (verse 1) as well as the recurring refrain (verses 7 and 11) each serve to reinforce God’s presence and God’s protection. We are encouraged to remember that God is with us, even when the world around us might seem to be falling apart. In the midst of all the unpredictability in our world, God’s people are not to fear (verses 2-3). In the midst of political calamity, the voice of God can be heard (verse 6). In the midst of militaristic strife, God will bring peace (verse 9).

Old Testament scholar John Goldingay maintains that this Psalm is not about violence, but about God. He also warns against another misinterpretation of this Psalm. That is, too often the Christian community uses the pinnacle phrase of this Psalm, “Be still and know that I am God!” as an invitation or an excuse to ignore or withdraw from a violent and noisy world. Goldingay reminds us “nowhere do the psalms have an ideal of silence.” Rather, “their assumption is that one finds God not in silence but in noise.”  

My hope is that during this season of Lent through all the “noise” in our world that we can come aside from the hustle and bustle of daily life and get alone with God knowing that “he will hold me fast” in all things.

- Karen Hudson




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