Psalm 46 

To the leader. Of the Korahites. According to Alamoth. A Song.

God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
    though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble with its tumult.Selah

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved;
    God will help it when the morning dawns.
The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter;
    he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our refuge.Selah

Come, behold the works of the Lord;
    see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
    he burns the shields with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God!
    I am exalted among the nations,
    I am exalted in the earth.”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our refuge.Selah

“Be still, and know that I am God!” The call to be still and fully present with God speaks to many of us. But in the last five weeks of the year, stillness is hard to come by. Our calendars filled up weeks ago. We hurry to buy presents, then get them wrapped and delivered to their recipients. We’ll pull out recipes that have gathered dust for eleven months to plan holiday meals and parties.
 
If you’re involved in church leadership, there is the work of Advent worship, Christmas pageants, mission projects, and everything else to do in a sprint to December 24. Then we’ll gather for what we hope and pray is the perfect moment of stillness as many of us light candles and sing “Silent Night”.
 
While the tenth verse, “Be still, and know that I am God!” is what draws many of us to Psalm 46, the theme of the psalm—the chorus of the ancient song is this, “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.”  The psalmist sings of trusting God in the face of mortal danger; natural disasters and war. God protects during storms, blesses and protects the city of Jerusalem. God brings peace where there is war.
 
If the psalmist can sing of trusting God through those trials, we can trust God to be our refuge and strength in the midst of holiday shopping, as we travel to be with family, as we wonder if all the busyness of the season is ever worth it.
 
In between all that busyness, I would invite you to find time to live into those words of verse 10. Take those moments to be still, and to be present with God. Step away from all the rushing to breathe deeply and know that God is our strength and our refuge.

Prayer for Reflection

Isaiah 65: 17-25
Isaiah 12 or Psalm 118
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
Luke 21:5-19