Dear all,
A short reflection of my devotion this morning on Psalm 46.
“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah”
Psalms 46:1-3
God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
In the midst of uncertainty and hopelessness, we turn to God who is our refuge and strength.
Our refuge, our hiding place .. a shelter we can run to in trouble times. I don’t know about you but when I am troubled, I like to crawl into my bed and blanket and there in the quietness and dark, I feel secure and protected and insulated from the troubles of this world that I have no answers to.
When we feel protected and secure in this hiding place, our anxieties begin to go away and our rational thinking return. We will be more encouraged and grow in strength and begin to hope for a better day tomorrow.
Can earth be removed and mountains carried to the sea? Unimaginable!
Yet God is shaking the foundations of the earth ..
Can you imagine that within days and weeks, countries and cities are lockdown? Can you imagine our Singapore-Malaysia causeways empty of cars and people crossing? Can you imagine streets are empty, shops closed, workers are laid off globally? Can you imagine pandemic coming in, hospitals overflow, thousands dying of virus without the families even being able to spent the last moment together? Can you imagine empty skies, thousands of planes on ground, cutting staff, many airlines going bankrupt? Business are shutting down, economies grinding to a halt.
Gloom and doom. Sense of hopelessness and fear in all.
Yet the Psalmist said … therefore do not fear …because our hope is in the Lord. He is our refuge and strength.
God is still in control and the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the most High shall not be shaken.
“There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.”
Psalms 46:4-5
What should be our response? Be still and know that I am God.
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.”
Psalms 46:10-11
We are to stay at home. Not going to mall, social gatherings and also stay away from office. But more than activities, I believe that in this time, our posture should be spiritual stillness in God. What is God saying at times like this ? In time of uncertainty, hopelessness, fear and no sense of what the future is like, turn back to God.
God is compassionate and calling us back to him. We have been chasing our dreams, worshipping false idols, self centred and wicked. We trusted in ourselves, we trust in our material procession, we live our life as if there is no God.
Repent .. and turn back to him when we still can.
Be still and know that I am God.
He will be exalted among the nations, he will be exalted in the earth!
God bless you,
Tung Weng Him