Psalm 46: Be Still When Everything Is Shaking

Good morning. This is Morning Prayer from Bearing Fruit.

Nothing that's shaking you this morning is shaking God. It may be loud in your head and loud around you, and the things you counted on may not feel steady. Psalm forty-six answers with two words, be still. We'll hear what they mean, then be still before Him. Let's bring this to God together.

In Psalm forty-six, verses ten and eleven, God speaks, and then His people answer.

“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted over the earth.” The Lord of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Psalm 46:10-11

Psalm forty-six is a song God's people sang together. It begins like this.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth is transformed and the mountains are toppled into the depths of the seas.

Psalm 46:1-2

Then the psalm turns from the mountains to the nations, raging and falling apart. Just before our verses, it asks us to come and see what God does.

He makes wars to cease throughout the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields in the fire.

Psalm 46:9

That's where God speaks. Be still. Right after the broken spears, it sounds a lot like stop. Put the weapons down. It seems to be spoken to the nations that have been fighting, and to God's own people too.

Then He says why. I will be exalted. Calm often comes with stillness, and that's a kindness. The center of this verse, though, is God Himself, honored over every nation and the whole earth.

There's a smaller kind of shaking too. Picture tying your shoes by the front door, with the letter from your landlord still on the hall table. The building's been sold. Nobody's said yet what that means for you, and you're already rehearsing phone calls in your head.

When things shake, we tend to push harder. We make more plans and keep the noise going. The earbuds go in before we've reached the car. The psalm says the same to us. Stop, and let God be God.

In the middle of the psalm there's a quieter picture, a river running through the city of God. Then it says this.

God is within her; she will not be moved. God will help her when morning dawns.

Psalm 46:5

That was said about God's city, and it's no guarantee for any one morning. It shows us what God is like with His people. He lives in the middle of them, and He's the reason they stand.

Jesus knew loud days. In Mark's Gospel, the whole town gathers at His door one evening, bringing the sick. Then Mark tells us this.

Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and went out to a solitary place to pray.

Mark 1:35

We're not told what He prayed. By the time His friends found Him, everyone was looking for Him again. So a few minutes of stillness this morning aren't wasted. You're setting down your own effort, and remembering that He is God.

You don't have to be calm to be welcome. In Jesus, God came to be with us in person. He died for our sins and was raised to life, and through Him the Father welcomes you, shaken or steady.

Let's pray. You can pray these words with me, out loud or in your heart.

Father, You sent Your Son into a shaking world. He died on the cross for my sins, and You raised Him to life. Through Him I'm welcome before I've steadied myself.

You alone are God. I need to hear myself say that. You're the Lord of Hosts, the God of Jacob. You break the bow and burn the shields, and the nations will honor You. Nothing that's shaking me is shaking You. Your word says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.” Thank You for being that for me.

You know what feels unsteady right now. You know the things I've been bracing against, and the ones I haven't said out loud to anyone. I'm rattled, Father, and I'm not hiding it from You. It's heavy, and I can't make it lighter on my own.

Some of this is mine to confess. I've acted as though it all rests on me, and I've trusted my plans more than You. When things shook, I got short with the people nearest me, and I've replayed old arguments in my head. I've kept the noise going too, so I wouldn't have to be quiet with You. Forgive me, Father. Thank You that in Jesus I'm forgiven.

So quiet me now. You said it over the nations, and You say it to Your people, and I'm one of them. “Be still and know that I am God”. I'm stopping. I'm putting down what I've been gripping, the plans and the arguments. Let me know You're God more surely than I know what I'm afraid of. And be exalted in me today. Let it show in how I work and how I speak.

You promised Your city help when morning dawned, and I'm asking for Your help this morning. Give me wisdom for whatever is really mine to handle today. If there's a call I need to make, help me make it. Settle my thoughts enough to see the next step.

The psalm says Your people won't fear, even if the mountains fall into the sea. I'm not fearless yet. I want to stand where they stood, though. If the ground keeps moving today, You'll still be my refuge. So I'm leaving with You the things I can't fix, and the people I love. I'm resting my weight on You.

I pray for people whose ground is shaking far worse than mine. For families in places at war, who woke up to the sound of it. Your word says, “He makes wars to cease throughout the earth”. Do that, Father. Bring peace where people are afraid to go outside. For anyone whose home is loud with anger this morning, keep them safe. For anyone packing up a home they didn't choose to leave, provide what they need. And for everyone praying with me right now, quiet each of us with Your presence.

Father, in a few minutes the day will get loud again. When it does, help me turn back to You. Give me a moment to stop, at my desk or in the car before I go in, and remember that You're God. Even if I only manage one quiet minute, meet me in it. When someone pushes, help me answer gently, and let me be a calm voice in a loud room. When I start trying to keep everything from falling, remind me that You're holding me. I don't know what will change before tonight, but You'll still be God. “The Lord of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” Let me take that with me wherever I go today.

In Jesus' name, amen.

Take a moment of quiet now, and bring Him whatever's in front of you today.

Hear this blessing from the prophet Zephaniah. He first spoke it to Jerusalem, looking ahead to the day God would restore His people.

The Lord your God is among you; He is mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.

Zephaniah 3:17