Psalm 46
1God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
3though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah
4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.
5God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns.
6The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
8Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
9He makes wars cease to the end 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 am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.”
11The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
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Holy Saturday is not a religious holiday. It’s the third day snuck in between Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. There is no supper around a table, no dying Savior, no Risen Christ. Holy Saturday is a quiet sort of day.
It still is. When I was younger, it was always strange to me that people could be so busy and noisy while Jesus was in his tomb. And to this day—no matter how beautiful the spring day—Holy Saturday remains for me a day to decompress and reflect.
And that waiting is more than a bit unnerving. In the first verses of Psalm 46, the earth is shaky, the nations are raging, and the threats are many. Yet, the Psalmist invites us to “be still and know that I am God.” The commandment sounds harsh, but the Psalmist isn’t scolding; the Psalmist is giving us an invitation to the stillness and assurance of God. In the quiet, God says, “Don’t be afraid of what comes next.” As the Psalmist says, “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.”
In trust of God and God’s promises, we know there is more to come.
Prayer: Dear God, in the quiet and stillness of this day, we give you thanks that your will to love and redeem all will not be defeated. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
–Pastor Mark Nelson