Psalm 46 (NRSV)
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Verse 1God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Verse 2Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
Verse 3though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah
Verse 4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.
Verse 5God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns.
Verse 6The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.
Verse 7The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
Verse 8Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
Verse 9He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.
Verse 10"Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth."
Verse 11The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
Devotion
As human history continues to unfold, we continue to see conflict occur over and over. We yearn for peace, yet we still see the brokenness of humanity as it insists on its own way. While we may catch glimpses of peace here and now, we long for the day when conflict, brutality and war fall silent. Until then, we as people of faith work as a voice for justice in the middle of what seems like chaos. The Psalmist points to God at work: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth should change." While it is easy to say, "The world is doomed!" the Psalmist invites us to see God at work in the midst of chaos, in the voice of our neighbor who works to bring about justice, through the voice of the community that calls out injustice and oppression. God "breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire," and we get closer to the day where peace becomes a reality.
Prayer
Lord, we pray for an end to violence and war. Stir up your Spirit within humanity that we may see you and your love in one another. Amen.