Be Still and Know That I Am God

Intro

Psalms 46 is talking about rejoicing in the deliverance that the Lord gives his people in the midst of a battle or siege.

psalms 46 was Martin Luthers basis for the reformation hymn “A mighty fortress is our God” Which was in the year 1527 when there was a plague that was sweeping europe and killing many people, alot of people were leaving town but Luther stayed in the trenches with the people that he was ministering to. He even turned his house into a hospital to help those in need.

A mighty Fortress is our God A Bulwark never failing Our Helper He amid the flood Of mortal ills prevailing

God is our refuge and strength

When we talk about God being our refuge we have to remember and realize how big God really is.

Look just at the original Hebrew and Greek used here The word for God used here is Elohim, Which is a intensive plural form of the word God. El means almighty but intensified is extremely almighty. God is never increasing in power nor decreasing in power bc he is immutable, meaning he is the same yesterday, today and forever, he is unchanging.

Example Genesis 1

English Standard Version Chapter 1

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

Isaiah 55:8–9 ESV

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Isaiah 40:28 ESV

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.

Job 26:14 ESV

Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand?”

Psalm 147:5 ESV

Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.

God is bigger than we can even imagine and often times we want to big him down to our level, we want to create him in our image instead of remembering we were created in his, we want to belittle him in the name of Pride and arrogance and to place him in a box that we can sit on our night stand to be used when needed!

We want to be a part time Christian but demand a full time God.

Back in this time in the ancient middle east cities were built on great heights with very high walls for defense. But there was no city or defensive structure that was considered impenetrable. However the psalmist describes here the one who is a sure defense and is impenetrable and that is God.

I love what nelson says in his commentary “God is a refuge for His people against everything actual or imagined”

God is Present

We have a God that meets us where we are. We have a God that leaves his kingdom to walk with us in the trenches.

Look at Shadrak Meshack and Abindigo.

Read Daniel 3 15-24

Daniel 3:15–24 ESV

Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.” Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. Because the king’s order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.”

Isaiah 41:10 ESV

fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 43:2 ESV

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

God dwells within the Church

To have a love for God is to have a love for his church

What sense does it make to say that i am a follower of Christ but i dont like his church? those to statements do not ever belong together bc we see all throughout scripture that the church is the bride of Christ.

we are called to fellowship, and to love one another

Ephesians 2:20–22 ESV

built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Matthew 18:20 ESV

For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Church matters and is non negotiable for the Christian

we are reminded here in the passage that in the end times where the whole word is shook and brought into chaos that the kingdom in which the believer resides is unshakable, that it will not be moved. We as beliveres should find a great comfort in the promise, that no matter what happens in the end we are unshakable in the kingdom not bc the structure of the church will hold up because it has been built well but it will hold only due to the presence of God.

Be still and know that I am God

notice here the change in the person speaking. It is no longer the psalmist who is speaking but its God himself.

look at the 2 verbs here in the verse, “be still” “Know” This is telling us to do something.

Be still- This can mean also to sink or stay calm, settle down. During this time the people of Jerusalem are going crazy back and fourth trying to figure out what to do during this hard time, much like we tend to do when we are going through a rough patch or hard season of life, we tend to get very anxious and try to find a way out but God is saying STOP! Chill man know that i am God. Stop trying to be your own savior, taking matters into your own hands.

Jesus Calms a Storm

23 And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?

Steven Lawson

“Worrying is a sin, its a sin of failing to trust God. We believe in the existence of God but when we worry we become practical atheist, we act as if there is no God in heaven.”

Stop acting as if God is not in control anymore. Be still and find your comfort and refuge in him.

Know- You need to know who God is not just in your brain but in your heart really really know without a shadow of a doubt who he is. We need to remember that God is on his throne and he knows our circumstance and what we are up against and he is in control.

That is the problem with americans today me included. We want to always be in control of something. Its hard for us to let go and know that God is in control.

We dont always need to know the how or the when we need to know the who and that who is God.

No matter what in the end God will be exalted no matter what. He will reign.

according to the national institute of health 1 and 4 Americans have issues with some sort of anxiety or depression

Conclusion

Church when times are hard and we are going through season after season of battle and seige like we see here in the 46th psalm, remember that the almighty God is a refuge for us, our strength when we need him and above all he is in control of your situation. God is bigger than all of our problems and we cant out sin the Grace and love of God.