December 18
Reading: Psalm 46
To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A Song.
1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah
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
Though the word for faith in not used, Psalm 46 is a psalm of faith sung in Tabernacle and Temple worship and probably in homes and on the streets as well. We do not know what the tune “Alamoth” was, but this psalm inspired Martin Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress.”
Psalm 46 has three stanzas, set apart from one another by “Selah” three times. “Selah” is a word that means something like a thoughtful pause or a moment of instrumental music. You might think of it as a guitar solo in the middle of the song. “Selah” is when one of the priests steps forward with his harp and goes crazy and all the people think about the words they just sung and how great God is.
This psalm is a rejoicing in the city of Jerusalem because God is with His people.
Psalm 46 is all about the greatness of God and each stanza contributes. In verses 1-3 we learn that, though the earth might change and roar and quake, God does not change. He remains our help. Because God is our refuge we will not fear.
In verses 4-7 we are reminded that, though the nations and peoples of the earth might rage and fall and otherwise carry on, God is our ever-present stronghold. Because God is with us, we will not be moved.
In verses 8-11 we are reminded that God has made all things. This creator God will glorify Himself among the nations and will be our stronghold. In verse 10 God tells us to “Cease and know that I am God.” Cease what? Cease fretting, worrying, striving, cease being anxious. Be still and not be fussing. Why? Because God is with you.
Do you know who God is? Do you know that He is with you? If you are a believer in Him and follow Him as His child, He promises to be with you as He was with King David and His faithful people in Jerusalem. If He is with you and you know that He is God, you need worry about nothing.