1God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. 5God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. 6Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
7The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
8Come and see what the LORD has done, the desolations He has brought on the earth. 9He 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.”
11The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Most people can agree that we are currently in a time of tumult. Elections, storms, jobs, schedules all keep our attention from focusing on God. For most of us, it’s simply a state of busyness trying to get from one place to another to do this thing or see this person. For some (currently the eastern coastline) there is actually some fear involved. A threat to safety and well-being is quite obviously present with the next step outside or the next howl of the wind. For others, every day comes filled with questions that don’t have answers: how am I going to stay warm today; where am I going to sleep tonight; what am I even going to eat to quiet my stomach down? There really is no break to rejuvenate, to relax, to rest.
The authors (the Sons of Korah) paint a morbid picture of the world: mountains falling into the sea, waters roaring, mountains quaking. Granted, with as much natural phenomenon craziness that has happened in the last few years, they’re really not that far off. But still, many of us have only seen it on TV, the internet, etc.
In the middle of everything, there is a place to go. “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall.” Phew. I can easily picture a quiet, babbling brook on a beautiful summer day with no clouds in the sky and the softest grass anyone could ever imagine. I just lay back into the grass, soaking everything in. “The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” Fortress? Wait, that’s a little different from the mountains and natural disasters. That has a different connotation…
Unfortunately for understanding, we (read: most of us) don’t really have physical wars going on in our own home turf on a daily basis. About the most danger I run into in a daily basis is the commute to and from work, not really a reason to fear for my life. These authors really knew what war was. Israel had been through significant expansion, division, subjugation, rule, and militaristic force over the course of history, even to this point. And God led them into and through all the different battles.
Yet the author makes a switch in verse 9 when He says that God makes wars cease. God: the peacemaker. How does He do it? “He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields with fire.” Hmmm…that seems awfully oxymoronic. Break, shatter, burn. That’s exactly what everyone else is doing, but God does it bigger, better, and for a greater purpose.
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Read verses 9 and 10 again to yourself, and really try to see and hear and feel everything that’s happening around you when you read. Everything builds, and builds, and crescendos, to the final clang!
Silence
All our weapons have been destroyed. Everything attacking us has been ceased. Stop fighting. It’s not gaining anything. And the only one who can bring peace is God. And when He brings it, it’s awesome. Anyone who has ever dealt with spiritual warfare knows this. I have personally heard demons and angels yelling at each other, louder, and louder, and LOUDER until God yelled, “YOU CAN’T HAVE HIM!” ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....................................................................
No words can describe that peace. God is the only one who can bring that peace. God is truly, truly the only source of anything good (James 1:17). What do we do when something that incredible happens? We talk about it.
God is Almighty, greater than anything we can ever face, and when He says, “Be still.” Everything listens. Then we go and talk about His love, peace, power, and justice to everyone we meet. God says, “I will be exalted in the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Everyone will praise God, especially if we talk about Him. The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
I pray that every one of you would find that peace today. Rest in God. And, in doing so, glorify Him among the earth.
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