Psalm 46-Be Still

For the choir director. A song of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. 1 God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. 2 Therefore we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the depths of the seas, 3 though its water roars and foams and the mountains quake with its turmoil. Selah 4 There is a river— its streams delight the city of God, the holy dwelling place of the Most High. 5 God is within her; she will not be toppled. God will help her when the morning dawns. 6 Nations rage, kingdoms topple; the earth melts when he lifts his voice. 7 The Lord of Armies is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah 8 Come, see the works of the Lord, who brings devastation on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease throughout the earth. He shatters bows and cuts spears to pieces; he sets wagons ablaze. 10 “Stop your fighting, and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.” 11 The Lord of Armies is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah

need to spend some time in the entirety of the .

Read the Text

Hit Crescendo at verse 10

PRAY!

Hook: Diagnosing the Problem

We have 2 things that are ingrained in western society. Hurry and Worry. I believe that this became even more evident in light of the last 2-3 weeks.

We see people constantly worried to go, do, accomplish something before it’s too late so everything is done in a hurry.

Let’s talk about the first.

1. Hurry Sickness

Hit Crescendo at verse 10

In his very Insightful Book entitled The Life You’ve Always Wanted, Pastor and Author John Ortberg makes the following observation:

John Ortberg makes the following observation:

“Hurry is the great enemy of the spiritual life in our day . . . for many of us the great danger is not that we will renounce our faith. It is that we will become so distracted and rushed and preoccupied that we will settle for a mediocre version of it.”

danger is not that we will renounce our faith. It is that we will become so distracted

and rushed and preoccupied that we will settle for a mediocre version of it.”

Ortberg goes on to describe this chronic problem of the American as “Hurry Sickness”

We are addicted to fast food, fast delivery, devices that makes things faster more efficient.

“American society is rich in goods, it is extremely time poor. Many societies in the two-thirds world by contrast are poor in material possessions by our standards but they are rich in time. They are not driven or hurried. They live with the sense that there’s adequate time to do what needs to be done each day.”

two-thirds world by contrast are poor in material possessions by our standards

but they are rich in time. They are not driven or hurried. They live with the sense

2. Cultural of Anxiety

that there’s adequate time to do what needs to be done each day.”

1. Cultural of Anxiety

Living in a culture of Stress, worry and anxiety

a. We are living in a culture and era riddled with Anxiety.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, some forty million Americans, nearly one in seven of us, are suffering from some kind of anxiety disorder at any given time, accounting for 31 percent of the expenditures on mental health care in the United States.

of us, are suffering from some kind of anxiety disorder at any given time, accounting for 31 percent of the

expenditures on mental health care in the United States.

one in four of us can expect to be stricken by debilitating anxiety at some point in our lifetimes….

When talking with people right now not just in america but in other places we see anxiety and fear like never before.

lifetimes….

Mass media and social media that were created to make things easier, communication faster are a big player with the quick dissemination of false information.

As Evangelical Christians, we are certainly not immune from these tendencies and in our churches we see the same thing. A rush to see how many people can we get into a building, rush from event to event. The words we see in our churches are:

FASTER, FASTER…MORE, MORE...

ministry we often camouflage or Baptize our tendencies to rush, rush, rush,

5. JOKE - Running To Church

A little girl, dressed in her Sunday best, was running as fast as she could, trying not to be late for Bible class. As she ran she prayed, ‘Dear Lord, please don’t let me be late! Dear Lord, please don’t let me be late!’

Bible class. As she ran she prayed, ‘Dear Lord, please don’t let me be late!

Dear Lord, please don’t let me be late!’

While she was running and praying, she tripped on a curb and fell, getting her clothes dirty and tearing her dress. She got up, brushed herself off, and started running again!

dirty and tearing her dress. She got up, brushed herself off, and started running again!

As she ran she once again began to pray, ‘Dear Lord, please don’t let me be late…But please don’t shove me either!’

don’t shove me either!’

And isn’t this the problem: We feel like God is behind us pushing us to run faster and faster and faster… when in reality he is often telling us the exact opposite and perhaps trying to tell us that we are measuring “SUCCESS IN OUR CHRISTIAN LIFE” by the wrong measuring tape!

faster… when in reality he is often telling us the exact opposite and perhaps trying to tell us that

we are measuring “success in ministry” by the wrong measuring tape!

BE STILL! and know that I am God;

Psalm 46:10 CSB

10 “Stop your fighting, and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.”

Structure of

1. There are 3 movements

a. verse 1-3

b. Verses 4-7

c. Verses 8-11

2. Each of the 3 movements is punctuated by “selah”

a. The meaning of the term “Selah” is normally intended to indicate either a Pause or Crescendo

Crescendo

b. Selah’s purpose is to help the reader pause and consider, as well as, to build intensity and focus on the central theme of the passage.

focus on the central theme of the passage.

1. “God is our refuge”

VS 1-3

i. Description of Tumult taking place in the midst of the created order

- though the earth should change

-though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea

Psalm 46:1–3 CSB

1 God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. 2 Therefore we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the depths of the seas, 3 though its water roars and foams and the mountains quake with its turmoil. Selah

- Though its waters roar and foam,

ii. Almost unimaginable circumstances of catastrophe that cause great anxiety

- Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride

ii. Almost unimaginable circumstances of catastrophe that cause great anxiety

iii. But for the people of God, there is no need to be alarmed because no matter how bad things look in Created Order – God is our Refuge!

things look in Created Order – God is our Refuge!

iii. Note that in verse 1, 7, and 11 we see the repeated idea that God is the Refuge, the place of certain safety for the people of Israel.

i. The focus of each movement and the purpose of each verse is to draw our attention to God Himself

God Himself

iv. In 11 verses there are 18 direct references to God.

ii. In 11 verses there are 18 direct references to God.

iii. Note that in verse 1, 7, and 11 we see the repeated idea that God is the Refuge, the place of certain safety for the people of Israel.

v. Beginning and End of Psalm is meant to focus our attention not on the circumstances around us but on God himself.

of certain safety for the people of Israel.

iv. . Bookends – Beginning and End of Psalm is meant to focus our attention not on the circumstances around us but on God himself.

circumstances around us but on God himself.

2. “God is With us”

- The last verse cements us on the person of God as main theme and primary comfort

2. “God is With us”

i. Verse 1 – He is a present help

i. The Nations Rage but the city of God is calm

- compare verses 4 & 6

Psalm 46:4–7 CSB

4 There is a river— its streams delight the city of God, the holy dwelling place of the Most High. 5 God is within her; she will not be toppled. God will help her when the morning dawns. 6 Nations rage, kingdoms topple; the earth melts when he lifts his voice. 7 The Lord of Armies is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah

- there is a gentle river in the city of God and the city is glad

Verses 4-7

i. The Nations Rage but the city of God is calm

- compare verses 4 & 6

- there is a gentle river in the city of God and the city is glad

- But the nations are in an uproar!

ii. Verse 5 – God is in the “midst of Israel”

iii. Verse 7 – That God—the Lord of Hosts—is “With us”

iv. Verse 11 – The Lord of Host is “With us” is repeated

In difficult times that’s when we Christians get to show their God. Because we know that he is with us, The problem is that during unsettling times many Christians are in just as much of an uproar, in just as much of a rage as the world.

church remember that God is with us now, Christian remember that God is with you,

3. “Therefore, we will not Fear”

i. Behold God and what HE can do!

Psalm 46:8 CSB

8 Come, see the works of the Lord, who brings devastation on the earth.

ii. Wars? Come on man! “Come behold what our God can do!” (v.9)

ii. Wars? Come on man!

Psalm 46:9 CSB

9 He makes wars cease throughout the earth. He shatters bows and cuts spears to pieces; he sets wagons ablaze.

i. This idea (no fear) is stated explicitly in verse 2

i. This idea is stated explicitly in verse 2

ii. But it is present throughout the psalm and is repeated using different words in verse 10

*Which brings us to the key passage of our focus and what I want you to remember through this difficult times.

Be Still! And Know I am God

Psalm 46:10 CSB

10 “Stop your fighting, and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.”

First Person Exclamation

1. In this Context, then, you see the passages shift from Second Person Narrative to First Person Imperative

Imperative

my wife when i’m telling a story that happen to her and I get to the final detail and she steps in for me to finish because the details is so important she doesn't want for me to miss it.

God is saying:

HEY THIS IS IMPORTANT!!! PAY CLOSE ATTENTION.

b. Stop and consider

c. Ponder

D. “Stop fighting and pay attention!”

PERHAPS GOD IS SAYING TO US RIGHT NOW:

3. Yo! CHILL!

a. God’s desire is to slow us down to take stock of our life, context, and hurry.

B. God is arresting us… Stopping us… it is a thunderous call to Sabbath in the sense of STOP! TO BE STILL!

No only to be still but to be still for a purpose.

B. “Know”

“Know”

1. Wisdom vs. Knowledge

God is calling us to experience who He is. Not necessarily to increase our knowledge of him.

a. A knowledge that is Experiential & Relational vs. knowledge that is information based

AND HE IS GOD.

KNOW THAT I’M GOD:

For the child of God this is a reminder to stop and remember. TO RESET.

to know God requires TIME and EFFORT

Any good relationship requires time. Any quality relationship takes TIME & EFFORT.

b. Any good relationship requires time. Any quality relationship takes TIME & EFFORT.

Be Still”— Stop your fighting.

This is a loving invitation by God OUT OF the whirlwind of activity, worry, stress, anxiety and INTO the closeness and wonder of relationship with God.

and wonder of relationship with God.

we want to help you do that. so starting tomorrow (Monday) we will have a Facebook live at 7pm on our Facebook group.

this is a close group that you can join. There for the next week we will go through the book of Galatians a chapter a day. Your job is to join the group, read chapter every day. during the life session I’ll read the chapter, share some thoughts. Your job in the comments will be to write your WOW verse of the day.

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