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Reflections on Psalm 46

The Lord of Armies

April 06, 2020 - J. Scott Duvall

Editorial Note: It’s the middle of March 2020, and the coronavirus is beginning to hit the U.S. in a big way. We’ve never seen anything like this in my lifetime. As followers of Jesus Christ, we know that our hope doesn’t depend on this world, especially when trials ambush us. But we need to be reminded and comforted. We need to hear from the Lord. In such times we often turn to the book of Psalms. Our pastor preached on Psalm 46 when this crisis was beginning and encouraged us to memorize it. I learn best by reading and writing. I hope my reflections will encourage you and those you love. Grace and peace.

Psalm 46:6-7 (Reflection 4)

“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.” (CSB)

In this portion of the Psalm, we see a stark contrast between the craziness of earth and the steadfastness of our Lord. Pretty much our daily experience, wouldn’t you say? One thing is happening with the “nations, kingdoms and the earth,” while a very different and far better thing is going on with “the Lord of Armies … the God of Jacob.” This means that we can’t trust our world to give us security or comfort or hope ultimately. That only comes from the Lord. So, the first order of business is to stop trying to find reassurance from our newsfeeds. We may get bits and pieces of good news, but nothing consistent and deep and lasting to sustain us.

The nations rage. In the Greek Old Testament the idea is that the nations were stirred up, meaning they were shaken or unsettled. Our world is terrified and confused to be honest. Just look around. Kingdoms fall down. Even the most stable of governments or kingdoms can be thrown into a downward spiral pretty quickly. God makes his voice heard and the earth is shaken, the earth melts. The Psalmist doesn’t tell us how God’s actions frighten the nations but somehow, they do. Does God do something directly or does he simply allow this sinful world to go its own way for a bit? We don’t know. But the end result for our world is the same – an unsettled fear. The panic these days is almost palpable.

But as God’s people, we are not left hopeless. The “Lord of Armies” is with us. Again, this could be translated, “the Lord of powers” or “the Lord who is the strongest of all” is with us. This is a military term suggesting that God is with us as our Warrior God. He is fighting for us. The “God of Jacob [or Israel] is our helper.” Our God has been the God of his people from the very beginning. The God of our ancestor Jacob whose name was changed to Israel, this God is our helper, protector and stronghold.

How exactly is God with us? First, when the emotion of fear comes our way (and it will), we have the privilege of talking to the Lord about it. We can have a conversation with him anytime, anywhere – “Lord, I’m scared … a lot … but I trust you” or “Lord, this all feels very panicky and unsettling, so replace my worries with a strong confidence in you.” Second, the Holy Spirit within us will bring us comfort and peace, often in unexpected ways and at just the right time. Third, we have each other. We may be social distancing, but we are part of a family who cares for each other. And thankfully, we’re just an electronic communication away from the reassuring human voice of a fellow Christ follower. God is with us: prayer, the Spirit and the Church.

Prayer: Father, you know us better than we know ourselves. You love and care for us better than we love ourselves. You can protect us better than we can protect ourselves. We confess our fears and worries but even more, we confess our trust in You, the One who fights for us, the One who has always been the God of your people. Thank you for giving us the privilege of prayer to pour out our thoughts to you, for giving us your Comforting Spirit who reassures us constantly, and for giving us each other to love and to be loved. Amen.