On Psalm 46

This week the psalm that the Czech team is reading is Psalm 46. Here are some thoughts from reading it:

This psalm reminds me of the flood story in Genesis 6-9. The psalm begins with flood images like mountains falling into the sea and waters roaring and foaming. Unlike the flood, however, the psalmist trusts God in the midst of this flooding. God is the protector from the flood, rather than its cause.

Toward the end, the psalm speaks of God breaking bows and spears and burning shields. God is the one who "makes war cease to the ends of the earth." (v. 9) In the story of the flood, the reason God gives for sending the flood is our violence (Gen. 6.11-13). Our violence grieves God to the point that God decides to wipe most of humanity out and start over. In Psalm 46, God is the one who ends war, but also the one who protects us from the flood (of violence).

I can't help but read and write this thinking that another hurricane, Wilma, is working its way through the Caribbean. I have relatives who were spared the full wrath of Rita (and other relatives in Florida), but I can't imagine what it's like now along the Gulf Coast (or Indonesia or southern Thailand). Perhaps it's good news to those who were not affected that God has promised never again to destroy the world in a flood (Gen. 9.11), but for many people their world has been destroyed. Others would love to see God destroy the instruments of war, stopping the flood of violence.

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." Let it be true.