Psalm 46 presents two contrasting scenes. On the one hand, the psalmist could see a world that seemed to be coming apart at the seams. It is a picture of worldwide upheaval; calamities of nature, nations rising and falling and people in great distress. And yet, at the same time, he saw a God who sat enthroned in Heaven, unshakeable, immovable, unchanging and heavily involved in the lives of His people. The one scene is of utter chaos; the other is of absolute serenity.
This psalm, known as Martin Luther’s favorite because of all of the instability in Europe during his lifetime, has been a source of comfort and assurance during troublesome times for God’s people down through the ages. It offers a bright message of hope in a world that has often gone terribly awry.
If this has been the case in the past, how much more so should it be applicable to our day and age? We are entering a time of such distress “such as has not occurred since the beginning of the creation…” (Mark 13:19) Surely we need to consider the great truth conveyed in this psalm!
We have already witnessed unbelievable calamities upon earth in the past decade. We have watched Muslim fanatics attack the United States. We are witnessing the beginning stages of a world that has become united against God: “…the nations in an uproar and the… kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed…” (Psalm 2:1-2)
Head knowledge about spiritual things will not get us through the dark days ahead. A superficial relationship with God will not suffice. We need a fresh revelation of the Most High God calmly sitting on His throne, overlooking the affairs of man. It is time that we begin to earnestly ask God to reveal Himself to us. He will open our hearts if we will only ask.