Peace and Calm in Psalm 46

This Psalm has been bringing such peace and calm to my heart and mind.  I just wanted to share some of the insights the Holy Spirit has been whispering to me as I’ve read it during these last few months.

Psalm 46 (Amplified Bible)
God the Refuge of His People.
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah, set to soprano voices. A Song.

1God is our refuge and strength [mighty and impenetrable], A very present and well-proved help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains be shaken and slip into the heart of the seas,

3 Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains tremble at its roaring. Selah.

Selah means pause and think on that.

I believe this is where we are at this time.  In this season, our world may feel like it’s shaking on every side and that we're like ships at sea being tossed to and fro in this open water of life, in the ocean of life. 

But we have an anchor, we have a solid anchor who is a very present help in times of trouble. He is strong, He is mighty, He is impenetrable. Hallelujah. We can pause and think on that. 

So it doesn't matter what's happening all around us. We don't want to slip off into fear and anxiety and worry and stress. 

The earth is changing around us; moment by moment things are changing. We're not sure. You don't know if it's changing for the good or for the bad.  We just feel change in the atmosphere. And it feels like the bottom, the foundation, is slipping out from under us in some situations. 

The word says that the mountains will be shaken and slip into the heart of the sea, the waters are roaring and there's foam everywhere, and the mountains are trembling.  We're gonna pause right there and think about it. Our God is mighty! He's impenetrable. 

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High.

5 God is in the midst of her [His city], she will not be moved; God will help her when the morning dawns.

I declare that over us.  God is in the midst of us, and we are not going to be moved. God will help her when the morning dawns. And so we're up early this morning at dawn (so it feels) but God is here to help us. He is our home.

6 The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered and were moved; He raised His voice, the earth melted.

7 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold [our refuge, our high tower]. Selah.

Pause and think about that.The Lord of angel armies is with us.

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has brought desolations and wonders on the earth.

9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow into pieces and snaps the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire.

10 “Be still and know (recognize, understand) that I am God.  I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth.”

In the midst of this world pandemic that we are going through, and we are experiencing, most of us have never experienced anything like this in our lives before. But God is saying, even in the midst of this, I'm going to be exalted among the nations. Nations are lining up. God is marking those nations that serve the Lord and those who are anti-god. The nations are making their choices in this time and season.  I believe that God is making it plain for us to choose Him.  He will be exalted among the nations. He will be exalted in the earth!

11 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold [our refuge, our high tower]. Selah.

Now let’s look at Psalms 46 in The Message Bible translation.

Psalms 46 (The Message)
A Song of the Sons of Korah

1-3 God is a safe place to hide, ready to help when we need him.  We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in seastorm and earthquake, Before the rush and roar of oceans, the tremors that shift mountains.  Jacob-wrestling God fights for us,     God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

So if you feel like hiding today, it’s ok!  Your emotions are up, down, sad, happy, everywhere. It's okay to hide in God.  We can run into His presence through praise and worship. He is our safe place to hide and He’s ready to help when we need Him. 

Even in the midst of all that we're seeing, all that we experience, what we’re experiencing in our emotions, WE WILL NOT BE MOVED.  We're not moved by what we see or what we hear or how we feel. Don't let your emotions take you up and turn you upside down.  Stay steady. Let your anchor grip the solid rock. God is a safe place. We can hide in him and we can hold on to Him and He is here to help us. 

4-6 River fountains splash joy, cooling God’s city, this sacred haunt of the Most High. God lives here, the streets are safe, God at your service from crack of dawn. Godless nations rant and rave, kings and kingdoms threaten, but Earth does anything he says.

Let's declare that over our nation. God lives in our nation. God lives in the nations of the earth. Our streets are safe. God is at your service from the crack of dawn. Hallelujah! God never sleeps, He never slumbers.  He is on His job, even from the crack of dawn. 

7 Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

We can pause and think on that again. Jacob-wrestling God, the God that Jacob wrestled with. Jacob got a hollow in his socket wrestling but he received what he wanted from the Lord.  That is the God who is fighting for us.  The God of angel armies, the God of the captain of the host of all the armies in heaven.  He is fighting to protect us.

8-10 Attention, all! See the marvels of God! He plants flowers and trees all over the earth, Bans war from pole to pole, breaks all the weapons across his knee. “Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything.”

11 Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.

See the marvels of God!  More than what you're seeing on the TV or the news or what you're hearing, but the Bible reminds us to see the marvels of God. So don't let your eyes get low. Sometimes we lower our eyes and we hang our heads.  But rather we should take a long loving look at our HIgh God. Lift up your heads oh ye gates and be lifted up you everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in. That's another scripture. Lift up your heads! 

I believe the Lord just wants to remind us that He is our hiding place. He is the place where we can find shelter and we can be protected when we stay close to Him and we stay up under the shadow of His wings. We just lean in, no matter what's going on around us. 

Don't get caught up in what you're seeing with your physical eyes or how your emotions may be feeling, but lift your head.  Lift your head and lock eyes with the Most High God. He's fighting for you. He's protecting you. We just declare as the Word says, that we are safe, our streets are safe, our Earth is safe. Our nations are safe and we are exalting our God. 

We know specifically here in America, this nation was founded on the word of God.  As these brave men were writing the constitution and some of these founding documents, they were praying.  They were flawed men but they were men of prayer. They were asking God how to set up this nation. And their heart's desire, I believe, was to honor the Lord. 

As a nation and as a country our foundation is based upon the word of God. 

Find peace and calm in the presence of the Lord.  Take a deep breath and just lean in.

Yours truly,,
Natasha N. Mackey