Friday 24 February: Crying out to God in conflict

Bible reading: Psalm 46

Charles Spurgeon described Psalm 46 as a ‘song of holy confidence’ and I could not agree more. It introduces to us a present God in times of trouble. It gives confident assurance that whatever we may go through, we have a God who is present in our trouble and we should not be afraid. Any time I read the psalm it also reminds me of the hymn written by Martin Luther, ‘A mighty fortress is our God’.

The writer of Psalm 46 paints a terrifying picture. The earth giving way and mountains falling into the heart of the sea is a metaphor for a situation that seems like the end of the world, impossibly bad. But even if something like that happens, the psalm tells us we are not to be troubled because the creator of all things is fully aware and still fully in control. God is always present, and we can be sure that he will intervene and see us through. There have been so many times in the last couple of years that it truly felt like that, but somehow we made it through.

Have you ever been in a situation that is nerve wracking? Maybe the loss of employment, the loss of loved ones, or depression, news of war and the rising cost of living, or other sad situations? Then someone comes along and says ‘Don’t worry’, or ‘Be still’? How did it make you feel? I don’t know about you but in times like that, is that the last thing you want to hear? As much as we don’t want to hear ‘don’t worry’ and ‘be still’, it is actually the best response in times of chaos. It is in our stillness that we feel the strong sense of God’s presence. We might feel helpless, but God is not. It is in that stillness that we are sensitive to the ‘still small voice’. Let us turn to God at such times and remember that he is a refuge for us, he is resident with us and he sends rivers of blessings to us.

This reflection was written by Victoria Lawrence, Bible Society's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead.