Psalm 46 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 46 on biblegateway.com
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
It was just after midnight on the morning of July 6th. I had been up late reading and had just turned off the bedside light when the earthquake hit. The house trembled for several seconds as if heavy trucks were passing by on the street, and that was followed by a series of severe jolts that shook our home from the foundation to the roof. The aftershocks began only a few minutes later, leaving us all feeling vulnerable and making sleep impossible. Growing up in northern California we expected such things, but not in Butte, Montana. The words of Psalm 46 came to me only later: “Therefore we will not fear… though the mountains shake.” There are times when we are able to set aside our fears for a bit, but there are also moments when we are shaken to our core, both literally and figuratively. The psalmist reminds us that the Lord is a strong tower—not a building that can be broken when the mountains tremble, but a presence in whom we can live, strong and secure, even when the earth moves beneath our feet.
Prayer
Gracious Lord, when our hearts tremble within us and fears assail us, may your strong presence remind us that we are not alone. Liberate us from our fears, and set us free to live and serve in your holy name. Amen.