November 27
Psalm 46
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.
Psalm 46 is the source of the words for the hymn: A Mighty Fortress. Seeing the might of God and his protection. We may have thought of it as a great Psalm to motivate us to go out boldly as we have God at our side, or as we go out at God’s side. Yet this Psalm does not take us there. The words here take us to a different place. Seeing that we have the God of the universe as the one who calls us his people we are not being sent out to fight, we are told to “Be still…”
There is this constant urge to make the life we have be all about us. The messages we hear in to world around us point that way. But we are told it is not about us in the same way. We are told to start by being still. Knowing who is God. Seeing that we are not in control of the things of life. Thinking we have all things sorted out. We are setting our own course. God reminds us to sit for a moment, probably a long moment, and see who is the God of the universe.
This is the message of the kingship that we saw yesterday as we looked at the kingship of Jesus in light of David, and then Solomon. Looking at the big picture of how the Ark, the temple and the throne point to the eternal kingship of Jesus. And it brings us to be still and see him as king. Allowing his name to exalted among the nations and in all the earth. Not for our name, but for his. Seeing him bring us in to be his people: forgiven, loved and belonging to him.
See the king of the universe. Hear him welcome us as his people. Feel his embrace as the one who gives us a place in the Father’s arms of grace. God is with us. So we can be still for this time and rest in his loving and gracious hands.
Song – A Mighty Fortress
Prayer
God of power and love, you raised Jesus from death to life, with glory to rule over all creation. Free this world to rejoice in his peace, to glory in his justice, and to live in his love. Unite all humankind in the name of Jesus Christ, our king. Amen.