Day 13 - Enjoy the Silence

Psalm 46 ---

¹ God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.

² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

³ though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
Selah

⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.

⁵ God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.

⁶ Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

⁷ The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

⁸ Come and see the works of the LORD,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.

⁹ He makes wars cease to the ends 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 will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."

¹¹ The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Where were you on September 11, 2001? Or how about December 26, 2004? How did you feel when you heard about the World Trade Center crashing down? Or seen reports on a massive tsunami breaking across the Indian ocean? Certain times in our lives we hear of people saying "life returning to normal," but we can't help but wonder, what does normal look like in a world filled with such violence, pain and human tragedy? Maybe our problem is that our "normal" is defined by unreality. The notion that somehow we might have wealth enough, or education enough, or power enough to make ourselves secure from the world's violence and uncertainty.

I like this Psalm, in a way, it's realistic. We do live in a World where there is violence of nature, geopolitical turmoil, and violence of war. Sometimes it really feel like this world is coming apart, whether is it global turmoil, or even personal. The thing is, in the midst of it all, this Psalms says exactly what we need to do to survive. "Be still and know that I am God."

What if God were to speak those words personally to you today? What if he where to hold your hand, lift up your face, look you directly in the eye and whisper, "Be still, and know that I am God."?

Listen to that voice, and journal what you hear as God says those words to you.

"Stop, be silent, trust me, I won't screw up..."

-Colton