For the woman who needs God to show up in a big way.
TODAY’S READING: Psalm 46
MAJOR MOMENT: The psalmists praised God for being a fortress.
KEY VERSE: Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
When our back is against the wall, and the battle we face feels unwinnable...
When there’s not enough in the bank to cover a bill ...
When a relationship is dissolving or our health is at risk ...
These are the times we need God to show up in a big way, and our requests can tumble out in a rapid-fire to-do list.
There’s nothing wrong with asking God for help. It shows our faithful trust in Him to act on our behalf.
What if we praised God for what He is able to do rather than just asking Him to do it?
In light of that, we read Psalm 46 today, which gives us words to pray as a battle cry to the One who wins every battle He chooses to fight.
In Psalm 46, the psalmists, the sons of Korah, start by declaring God’s power over trouble. We don’t know if they were facing something urgent at the moment, but it’s interesting that they didn’t make any requests of God. We see direct requests in other psalms, but in this one, rather than start with the problem, the psalmists started with the provision: God Himself.
NOTE FROM JOEL
The phrase “Lord Almighty” (v. 7) is a militaristic Hebrew phrase and speaks to God as the King of the heavenly army. In Psalm 46, God is the type of King who is on the front line of battle. He alone wields ultimate strength; the King is in total control, and all power flows out from Him. The psalmists compared God to a “fortress” (Psalm 46:7; Psalm 46:11); He is indestructible, and He offers us present strength and eternal safety that cannot be found anywhere else.
The psalmists may have been desperate for help, but rather than dissolve into fear, they boldly stated exactly what God is able to do. They declared the Truth of God’s character and power in a way that stirred their faith. And we can use this same pattern of praise to stir our faith and prepare our hearts for whatever we face.
What are you facing today, or have you faced in the past, that is/was overwhelming?
What attributes of God would bring you peace today as you face that challenge? Use Psalm 46 as a guide.
Just imagine how much power it would take to make “wars cease to the ends of the earth” (Psalm 46:9). That is the power of our God, and that is His plan for eternity! There are countless troubles in the world that threaten our sense of peace and joy today: financial stress, political turmoil, cultural quarrels, natural disasters, diseases, broken relationships and losses of loved ones. But remembering God’s mission and His promise to His people encourages our hearts because God already knows how the future will unfold.
- We don’t have to question how the story will end or what our ultimate fate will be.
The confidence of the psalmists is striking in Psalm 46. They imagined the very worst physical catastrophe, if the earth gave way and the sea roared, (vv. 2-3) but calmly testified that even then, we wouldn’t need to fear because God would be there.
Isn’t this confidence amazing? We can be sure the psalmists’ confidence was neither self-generated nor tethered to their ability to save themselves. That would feel very insecure indeed and could lead to fear.
When fear takes over, it’s often a sign we are trusting someone or something other than God for help and strength.
We trust our jobs for provision or the weather for our safety. But only God is completely dependable. Identify at least one fear you have and what/whom you are trusting other than God.
What steps can you take to be still so you can rest in the Lord?
The psalmists praised God with a God-given confidence. This is surely the soul-rest Jesus spoke about in Matthew 11:28-29 when He said:
Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
The only way we will experience this rest for our souls is when our souls rest in God. Psalm 46 invites us to rest in the knowledge that God is in control and shows us how to affirm God’s power in prayer. God will show up in times of trouble. The question is: Do we believe it?
Let’s end today’s study by writing declarations about God and why we can trust Him based on Psalm 46. For example: God is our fortress.
PRAYER PRACTICE
Return to Psalm 46 and read it aloud in first person as a personal declaration. Speak a prayer of adoration to God through the psalm.
Then, answer these questions about what you just declared: Why do you believe this declaration psalm?
What evidence do you have to support your belief?
Submit your responses as an offering to the Lord.
PSALM 95
1 Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song.
3 For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.
4 In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him.
5 The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hands formed the dry land.
6 Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
7 for He is our God
and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care.
Today, if only you would hear His voice,
8 “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah,
as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness,
9 where your ancestors tested me;
they tried me, though they had seen what I did.
10 For forty years I was angry with that generation;
I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray,
and they have not known my ways.’
11 So I declared on oath in my anger,
‘They shall never enter my rest.’”
~By Glynnis Whitwer and Kelley Brown
Excerpted with permission from 30 Days of Prayer by Proverbs 31 Ministries, copyright Proverbs 31 Ministries, Inc.
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Your Turn
The only way we will experience this rest for our souls is when our souls rest in God. Are you resting in God today? Even in chaotic situations, we can lean back on God’s strong arms and find peace. ~ Devotionals Daily