Psalm Meditation 608
Sixth Sunday after Epiphany
February 12, 2012

Psalm 46
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. (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 the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns.
6 The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. (Selah)
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought 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 shields with fire.
10 "Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth."
11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. (Selah) (NRSV)

When we are honest, most of us will admit to having a safe place, that place we go when the world seems to be crashing in on us. It can be a blanket fort, a place with more secure walls, and it can be a place in head or heart where we go to feel safe from the real and imagine cares and concerns of the world as we know it. It can also be the company of a person, whose love and care offers us shelter from the storms of life. The psalmist reminds us that God is one of those who offers a respite from all that the world presses on us.

It is possible that in God’s presence we may find new proddings to act in one direction or another, however the proddings from God seem to be infused with a different texture than the cares of the world. God seems to poke and prod with a concern for us that seems missing from the cares of the world. Whether we are prodded or held we feel the comfort and safety of being in the presence of God.

From an awareness of God as a source of refuge and strength we also hear the psalmist inviting us to hear God say, "Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth." As we are able to be still, to allow ourselves to trust God with our lives for a brief, shining moment, we will discover that many of our worries and concerns have no power over us. As we offer our lives to God in trust we discover that God is a refuge in all times and places of our lives in community with the people of God.


© February 6, 2012