Category: Devotionals

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:31-32.

In this brief passage, the Apostle Paul gives us quite a stack of negative emotions. He even asks us not only to curb them or manage them, but to get rid of them. This means not even a trace of any of this is allowed to remain in our personality or in our interactions with others. My goodness. I find this to be a rather impossible standard, don’t you? In that moment of conflict when our anger and those nasty words we long to fling about rise in us, what are we to do?

The very first passion Paul tells us to eliminate is bitterness. When I looked up the meaning for bitterness, I discovered a list of words to describe food gone bad. Descriptors such as: sour, caustic, biting, cutting, and stinging. Sadly, our souls can become like that too. The Apostle Paul gives us some wise counsel so that we can prevent our souls from resembling food that has spoiled.

In preparing to write this devotional, I searched to find where the word bitter or bitterness appeared in the Bible as it relates to our emotions. The prophets used one of these words frequently to express their grief and sorrow.

James uses it as an adjective to describe envy. James 3:14 says, “But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.”

The book of Hebrews warns against bitterness when it says in chapter 12 verse 15, “See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”

After reading the passage from James and from Hebrews, it makes sense to me why Paul would start his list in Ephesians 4 with bitterness. According to Hebrews, it is the root, or the source, of so much of our negativity.

I remember, a few years back in my own faith journey, God was at work on some pretty substantial formation of my soul. He exposed the beginnings of a bitter root in my life. In his gracious way, he healed me. Then he gave me a choice. I could continue to cultivate the sort of environment that nurtured a bitter root, or I could go a different way and make some changes.

When we go back and look at these passages in Ephesians, Hebrews, and James, we’ll see that each one presents a choice. If the reader dares to leave behind the bitterness Paul calls to attention, they will discover a more wholesome and sustainable way to function.

In Ephesians, Paul invites us, after getting rid of the bitterness and rage and so forth, to be kind and compassionate, to forgive as God forgives. If we back up a little farther in chapter 4, we see that the verse right before the one about bitterness and anger talks of the Holy Spirit. It is possible to grieve him. Practicing bitterness, anger, slander and malice will do it.

Believers have been sealed with the Holy Spirit for the day of redemption (verse 30). We don’t have to rely on negative (i.e. destructive) emotions to make the world go as we think it should. The Holy Spirit of God has already covered our lives and guaranteed for us a portion of God’s saving power.

Get rid of the mechanisms and the tools you rely on to control your world, Paul says. Instead, rely on God’s Spirit to help you love, to show compassion, to be kind, and to forgive.

If we look at the passage from James 3, we see that once James is finished mentioning bitter envy and selfish ambition, he defines wisdom. Here’s a great list of positives to replace the stack of negatives: “But wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure, then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere (James 3:17).

James assumes that people who practice these qualities will be peacemakers because he says in the next verse that peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness (verse 18).

In Hebrews, where the bitter root is mentioned, the verse preceding it mentions peace, like the passage in James does. Peace and holiness are actually related because the verse reads like this: “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness, no one will see the Lord” (verse 14).

Without holiness, no one will see the Lord. Last week’s devotional told the story of Hagar and made the point that God sees us. If we make the right choices in our lives, we can help others see God.

Which choice will you make? Have you ever been where I was a few years ago, needing to decide between bitterness and love?

As someone who, with God’s help, victoriously fought this battle, may I champion you to do the hard work to choose love?

Instead of giving your heart, your life, and your integrity over to bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, malice, and envy, partner with the Holy Spirit of God to live in kindness, compassion, forgiveness, peace, holiness, and wisdom.

This season of Lent is a gift to us because it offers us time to consider the costs and make changes. Ask the Lord to give you the courage to search your heart, and then ask him to also redeem you and set you free. A harvest of peace and wisdom awaits.

She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” Genesis 16:13

Hagar isn’t someone who usually gets pointed out as a heroic figure. An Egyptian, she worked as a slave for Abraham’s family. Her job description included waiting on his wife Sarah, performing household tasks, and standing in as a substitute when Sarah failed to conceive and become pregnant.

Hagar was the mother of Ishmael, Abraham’s oldest child. But he wasn’t the heir of the covenant God had made with Abraham. These promises were reserved for Isaac (Genesis 17:21).

At the time when God appears to Hagar, she is the one woman of the household expecting a child. Sarah mistreated her which caused her to leave Abraham’s home.

This is where God catches up with her. In the desert. Alone. Abandoned. Hurting. He has a conversation with Hagar in which she recognizes him for who he really is.

“You are the God who sees me.”

With that statement, Hagar’s direction changed. She was no longer the outcast and betrayed slave wanted by no one and disposed of.

God had seen her. He’d seen her long before this conversation in the desert. He knew of her actions and the choices she’d made, the good ones as well as the bad ones. His presence had come to that wilderness and descended over Hagar. She’d heard him speak and received a vision of the work he wanted to do in her life.

He will increase her descendants (verse 9). The promise he gave Hagar sounded very similar to the one given to Abraham. “I will make the son of your slave into a nation also.” God said to Abraham, “because he is your offspring.”

God’s generous blessing overflowed into Hagar’s live. She had to look beyond the conflict with Sarah and see the value that God placed on her. He gave her a place in his divine plan that stood independent of Abraham’s or Sarah’s treatment of her.

That day in the desert became for Hagar a time of renewal. She became fully aware of the nature of God. Like with Moses, he assured Hagar of his guidance and his protection.

Since she was an Egyptian, a foreigner with no connection to Abraham and his family, and also a woman viewed as second class and therefore insignificant, I wonder if God revealed his presence to her in a way that proved his commitment to her. Abraham was married to Sarah, not Hagar. Where then, could she go in this foreign land with no male provider to care for her and her child?

Her renewal in the desert assured her that she belonged to God.

In this season of Lent, followers of Christ take the time to reflect on his sufferings. We confess sin, repent, and ask for forgiveness. This regular cleansing frees us from the tyranny of sin. It creates space in us to encounter God in the wilderness of our own feelings of abandonment and betrayal. His presence fills the new space and restores in us our awareness of him. We belong to him. There is a sense in Hagar’s story of lingering. She stayed in that place with God feeling all the heartache of her experiences with Abraham and Sarah while also soaking up God’s word to her and his vision for her.

We can do the same. During this season of Lent, stay with God, in that place of sharing heartache with him, of listening to his vision for you, and of soaking up the message he intends especially for your life.  

The God who sees, Lahai Roi, has always seen.  He is the same and unchanging, attentive and available. 

I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6

I love how Paul can string a few words together in one sentence that can capture layers of meaning that not only go deep, but stretch across time. This verse is one of those that arches over a great span. It starts at one point, goes high, and then comes down again in a new place. Think rainbows or the arch in St. Louis.

Each word in this verse is loaded. Paul is the one who is confident. He is confident in God, and he is confident in God’s ability to do what he says he will do. God begins a work, then it grows. He sustains both the work and the growth until Jesus returns.

Paul sees this truth working itself out in individual people as well as in the community. God has a purpose for each life. He also has a purpose for each group of people.

On God’s growth plan, we will outgrow roles or perspectives. In order to move into the next stage of growth God has designed for us, we must let go of the place where we’ve been, the attitudes we’ve held, and maybe even the networks we’ve depended on.

These points of growth happen repeatedly over the course of a person’s life. They can feel like stepping from a canoe to a motorboat in the middle of a lake on a windy day. Easy to lose your balance. Nothing to hold onto. The perfect conditions for rough, shaky transitions.

But God is faithful. Paul reminds us that God will carry the work onto completion. No matter how many times you fall, God will help you get back up again. He will make sure you get where you need to go.

His work has a master design to it, and it is on a schedule that he has set. Disruptions and surprises cannot throw it off course. God will accomplish the plan for which your life was created. Nothing will get in the way.

What is the good work God has begun in you? Are you a teacher, an artist, a writer, or an apostle? Does the life you are leading today feel far removed from where you thought you were going? God has a way of using all of our circumstances and all of our decisions for his glory. Take a good look around you. The work God is doing in your life might be bursting from a recent disappointment, a wall of reality you’ve run into, or a gift he has given you that you might not be quite sure what to do with.

God knows. He’s always known. He will develop the work, grow it, and bring fruit from it at just the right time and in the right place to reap a great harvest for the kingdom.

This is true for communities, too. God brings people together, gives them the vision for a common goal, and then continues to lead as they work together on his mission. This is the context in which Paul wrote this verse. It is a part of a letter to the church in Philippi, one that Paul started. Along the way, he became fond of these believers. He wants to champion their efforts to preach and advance the gospel.

Through Paul, God began a good work in Philippi. He won’t abandon it, just like he won’t abandon the work he’s started in any of us.

He sustains us. As we grow, change, move, and listen to him, we can rely on him to help us stand. We can believe the word he has spoken. We can trust that God is in charge of the master building project going on in each one of our lives.

He won’t fail, forget, or grow fatigued. God is on the job all the time.

Remember to look to him through your shaky transitions. Believe that he holds your future. Sanctification’s promise is of a sweeter, holier life as we age. It is drawing us ever closer to God until the day when we enter into heaven forever.

Those places that feel too small and uncomfortable now won’t last forever. God is preparing you for something grand, something only you can do. When the work is complete, growth and beauty and love will rush from your life glowing with the marks of his glory.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

Sometimes it’s so hard to know which way to go. Every path before us looks promising. We want all the good we can possibly find. Choosing one path over another might cause us to miss out on a relationship, a job, or some other opportunity we wish we would have had. There is no way to know what the future holds. We can’t turn around and go back once we’ve committed to a direction.

How do we choose the best path?

Proverbs 3:5 tells us to trust in the Lord. He led you in all of your ways before arrival at the crossroads. He will lead you again. When discerning the right path seems impossible, the Lord will speak to you. Words from songs and Scriptures, friends and family will inform your heart.

The Lord will also prepare you. He knows the purposes to which he has called you, so he will teach you and shape you for the moment when you must choose a path.

He knows the way ahead when we do not. He sees everything from start to finish when we cannot. This is why we must not lean on our own understanding. It is incomplete, and therefore to a degree, inaccurate. God has full understanding. If we are in a relationship with him listening and obeying what we hear, we can tap into God’s understanding.

This is known as wisdom. When we see with God’s eyes and interpret our surroundings with God’s understanding, we are wise.

Trust in God and the wisdom of God naturally lead us to submit to God. Submission to God’s will and his plan is a privilege. We want to do it because we know his ways are the best ways.

Only through this acceptance of God’s plans will our paths be made straight. When we walk with God, confusion eventually dissipates. The fog of uncertainty gradually clears until we can see the way mapped out before us.

Romans 8:28 tells us that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

We can trust him.

We can wait on him to show us where to go.

We can submit our way to him.

Only then does peace come, and with it the richest and abundant blessings of a life lived for Christ.

You will make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. Psalm 16:11

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:18

 My grandmother, Elizabeth Van Zante, taught this verse to me when I was a child just old enough to read. We used a little spiral-bound book published by a Bible Society as our guide for memorization. In this guide were twenty-six verses, one for each letter of the alphabet. This verse from Hebrews was the choice for the letter J since, of course, Jesus starts with the letter J.

 My childish mind enjoyed the picture of Jesus with the children as the accompanying illustration. Buy my heart dreaded the words. I wasn’t sure I wanted Jesus to always be the same. There seemed to me no hope of change, of improvement in the world’s condition, or of an escape from the problems that create stumbling blocks generation after generation.

 For Grandma, however, this verse brought great consolation. I heard it in the tone of her voice as she said these words to me. I saw it in her face as the truth of Scripture made her eyes light up.

 Grandma, born during World War I, financing a college education during the Great Depression of the 1930’s, and watching the boys she’d grown up with go off to war in the 1940’s, knew better than I did what it means for Jesus Christ to stay the same.

 The writer of Hebrews isn’t telling us that Jesus Christ is the reason for our problems. Far from it. He is the rock, the fortress, the mighty refuge in the midst of those problems. He never changes, never moves, and cannot be toppled. If he held you secure through a hardship in the past, you can believe that he will do it again. Today. Tomorrow. He’ll never grow tired or lose ground, all the way into eternity.

 Cling to him. Anchor yourself to him. Listen to him. What he says is true, and where he stands is solid ground.

 Sing, praise, and believe. God is our loving and faithful heavenly father. When pain blinds you or the conflict and darkness of the world confuse you, know that the Lord is still in the same place sheltering, guiding, and protecting.

 He never changes.

He’s seen it all.

He sees you even when you can’t see him.

 May the same strength that holds us on the outside penetrate our hearts and hold us steady on the inside.

Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Their hearts are secure, they have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes. Psalm 112:6-8

It’s a dreaded phrase. People go to a lot of work to shield themselves from it. We buy insurance, pad the savings account, get our vaccinations, and schedule routine health screenings all in an effort to avoid receiving bad news. But no one can escape the sober reality that at some point, bad news will come to all of us.

Our efforts shouldn’t go only into avoiding it. Insurance, immunizations, and investments are important, but we should make sure that we are also putting effort into the quality of our response.

Psalm 112 is a ten-verse list of the characteristics of the fearless. It beckons to us with an implied challenge: “You want to stay calm and immovable in the midst of tragedy? Well, take a look at the kind of person who succeeds. If you act like they do, you can be fearless too.”

I must admit that I’m willing to take the challenge. Like a contestant on a Ninja Warrior show, I’m ready to take on the obstacle course and go as far as I can swinging from wheels over the water and climbing the wall to victory.

Fearless behavior.

Psalm 112 used the word fear three times. It first appears in verse 1. “Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands.” It appears the second time in verse 7. “They will have no fear of bad news,” and again in verse 8. “Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear.”

Two different kinds of fear. The fear of God as worship, respect and love for Him, guards you against the fear of bad news. People who practice compassion and generosity can trust that good will come to them.

Even in darkness, light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious, compassionate, and righteous. Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice (verse 4 and 5).

Stand on those promises. The world is full of bad news. You don’t need to listen to the news shows or read the paper for very long to hear stories of fires, murders, or immorality. But, if we are people who fear the Lord, we will never be shaken.

Our children will be mighty in the land (verse 2).

Wealth and riches will be in our houses (verse 3).

Our righteousness will endure forever (verses 3 and 9).

I don’t know about you, but to me that sounds like good news.

They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him.” Mark 4:41

Out on the lake after a busy day of learning from Jesus, the disciples learned a lesson no amount of lecturing or code-messaged parables could convey. They were in a storm, and their boat was sinking. Too bad they didn’t have one of the fishing boats available to them. It would have carried them through, but this smaller, narrower boat went off course at the smallest wave. And now a furious squall had come up. What was worse, Jesus lay fast asleep, oblivious, as it appeared to the disciples, to everything going on around him.

Caught off guard, the disciples scrambled to pitch water out of the boat. But their efforts were of no use. The boat was going down. They were going with it. Drowned. Finished with the sensational work they shared with Jesus after barely getting started.

In a panic, they woke the Teacher up and scolded him for his lack of concern. “Don’t you care if we drown?” they demand of him.

With three words, Jesus brought the raging storm to complete calm. “Quiet. Be still.” The same words are used here in the original language as the words Jesus will soon speak to the evil tormenting the man in the region of the Gerasenes. Jesus muzzles, or gags, the storm. His words to the weather shut it down. All in a day’s work for a Messiah. I can imagine Jesus brushing his hands together as if to rid them of dirt and then turning to fluff up his cushion like the episode was hardly worth the exertion. Back to sleep he may have gone, if not for a band of terrified men huddled and shaking.

“Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Jesus asked them. His words likely carried a greater scolding than the one they had given him.

I’m right here, Jesus says in his questions. Just because I was sleeping doesn’t mean I lost any power.

The lesson the disciples are learning is the very one of faith. Either Jesus was the Son or God as he and the prophets claimed him to be, or he wasn’t. The evidence was too strong, too obvious, for him to be anyone but the promised Savior.

And here they were, crowded into a boat with him living through the adventure of their very own relationship with Him. The scene ends unresolved. Jesus leaves the decision up to them of who He really is.

Jesus calms storms. He chokes out evil. He heals chronic disease. He raises the dead. No one is more powerful than Him.

An unforgettable lesson.

My son, Mark, is a meteorology student at Iowa State. He loves this time of year with the high dew points, unstable atmosphere, and all kinds of other conditions weathermen have official terms for. He is forever looking for a good storm. Then he can go chase it in the hopes of witnessing a sensational display of power either in thunderheads or hail, or the ultimate prize, a tornado. No better training exists for the aspiring weatherman than to be out in the storm watching it, photographing it, marveling at its power. A student of the forces of nature, he is learning lessons that will shape him as he pursues his education and someday his career as he becomes the seasoned, tried and true weatherman.

As students of Jesus, are we learning lessons that will shape us? Do we know where to look for displays of God’s power? Do we run away terrified, or do we chase after Him hoping to see more, to learn more, to become more?

God leaves the answer up to us. Either He is God, totally capable of calming our storms and healing our lives and souls, or He isn’t. We get to decide, and the choice we make defines who He is to us for all time.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I confess fear and unbelief. I want to have more faith in you, in your concern for me, and in your uncontested power. Be the Lord of my life whom I may always look to in the storm. Amen.

For the Lord is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you. Psalm 84:11-12

These verses come at the end of a song with the theme of peace. It is a love song, really. Sung not to a human sweetheart, but to the Lord himself. This song celebrates God’s presence, His home, His willingness to bless, and His strength.

David, the composer of this love song, is weak with longing for the courts of the Lord. “Oh, if I could just be like the sparrow, living in a nest built in the eaves of the building,” his heart cries. Or if he could be like the priests who live and work in the house of God, he would finally find satisfaction for his deepest desires. These people have the privilege of staying in the place where God lives. They never have to leave. They get to spend their days in unbroken communion with God, adoring Him and praising Him forever.

David longs for the house of God because then he can always be with God. This is what he wants most. His envy of the priests pushes him so far as to say the lowest, most unimportant job of doorkeeper at the temple would be better than fame and plush luxuries shared with sin.

If he could get near enough to God, then one day in that place would bring him more joy than one thousand days spent anywhere else.

We can hear the fainting, the deep passion of David’s heart, quite appropriate for the most fervent of love songs.

The person who loves God this much receives great blessing from Him. David recognizes this, and compares these blessings to the sun and to a shield.

The sun gives light, offering revelation of the warmth of God’s character, illuminating the best direction for us to follow. A shield protects and defends. In battle, it comes between the soldier and danger blocking the flaming arrows of the enemy. Ephesians chapter 6 uses the image of a shield to describe faith. It helps us stand firm, strengthening us to wait, fortifying us against the powers of darkness and forces of evil. Anyone hidden behind the armor of God is safe, even when the sounds of ammunition surround us. The shield of God offers relief.

Behind this shield, in the light of His presence, we find favor and honor. The poetic style of the Psalm implies that the person standing in God’s light and under his protection receives these things from Him. God not only rescues us from danger, He gives us a special place with Him. He provides dignity and purpose, meaningful work and a good name.

The Psalm goes on to promise that no good thing does God withhold from those whose walk is blameless. What are these good things? They are love, wisdom, patience, steadfast hearts, power, sound minds, close relationship with God, and living forever.

That one word “blameless” is intimidating. There is no way any of us can reach the end of a day without committing some act or saying some hurtful word that is offensive to God. But we have to remember that we are covered by the blood of Jesus. Salvation is both sun and shield, ever shining the light of Christ in our hearts, always covering us from the destruction of sin. Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord Almighty.

Do you want to keep receiving ever increasing amounts of blessing? Learn to love God as much as David. Be intentional about worshipping Him. Find the songs and the Scriptures that help you adore Him and praise Him.

Confessing our sin is also an act of worship. Sometimes we don’t even know when we’ve done wrong to God or to others. Ask for wisdom, one of God’s “good things,” to help you grow more aware of your emotions and of how you come across to others.

Keep on thanking Him as you recognize the increase in your life. By confession and gratitude, we free up more space in our souls for God until we become people who ourselves are living in greater freedom and looking more and more like Him.

Prayer

Lord, I want to love like David loves. I want to worship only you as Lord and King of my life. Cover me with your love and your holiness. Help me walk in the light of your goodness. Amen.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121

When I read this Psalm, the items mentioned in the title are the images that come to mind. So often, life feels precarious. Circumstances we didn’t ask for or didn’t see coming can, in effect, pull the carpet right out from under us, and reveal not a solid floor to stand on, but thin air. How do we ever find solid footing in places that offer no stability, but are instead full of turbulence, shifting sands, or mere vapors of broken promises and disappointed expectations?

Life has a way of leading us to believe that we are going crazy. We’ve all seen the pictures of the insane person attempting to walk the tightrope over the roaring and surging Niagara Falls. “I would never do a foolish thing like that. Too risky,” we say to ourselves. And then, overnight, the world can change, and we are left looking out across a vast expanse of nothing. “How do I survive now?” we wonder.

Psalm 121 tells us to look to the mountain. We must lift up our eyes and place them on the unmovable mountain that is higher than us. Our help will come from there. The mountain is the Lord. He is the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip. In those places and at those times when nothing but a flimsy little thread stretches out before us as the only path anywhere to follow, the Lord not only makes each step secure, he builds the road for us to walk on. One small section at a time. Just wide enough to support our next step.

The Psalm goes on to say that he who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

Israel was God’s chosen. The man Jacob, renamed to Israel, and the entire nation that grew from his family line, enjoyed God’s favor. They act as a picture to us as the value God places on his children. They are his treasure, his safe full of money, his vault full of jewels. This sort of wealth isn’t treated casually. Rather, it is guarded day and night. While everyone else is sleeping, God is awake, attentive and alert to any potential danger. He is on the job all the time, better than the most experienced security guard stationed at the door of the wealthiest business in the biggest city.

Because God guards our lives so vigilantly, we can rest in him completely. Psalm 131 uses the image of a weaned child, a baby, with its mother. Verse 2 says, “I have calmed and quieted myself. I am like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child, I am content.”

The Lord keeps you from all harm.

He watches over your life.

He watches over you now, in the present, throughout the rest of your life into the future, and even after you die into eternity.

Nothing can snatch you away from his care, and even the most dangerous and precarious situations work for your good.  

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

This psalm has always struck me as rather audacious. It makes claims that make me want to sit back and respond with a bit of doubt or skepticism. Does God really do all the things this psalm claims, and if he does, then how do I know, and where can I see it happening?

The psalm starts out talking of the worst events that could possibly happen. Mountains falling. Seas roaring and roaming. It looks like a picture of absolute destruction, of the kind that would follow the overthrow of a government, the disintegration of a nation, the ruin of entire families and cultures, or in our case, a deadly plague. The image is scary, unsettling, and leaves a person feeling small and powerless in the face of so much turmoil and disaster.

 But the psalm makes really bold claims, as if the most terrible situations act as a point of reference for the power of God. Mountains are falling into the sea, you say? Well let me show you how much larger God is, the psalm boasts. The waters roar and foam? They are harmless. They only serve to prove God’s greater strength. Because while turmoil, chaos, and destruction abounds, all God has to do is speak.

When he lifts his voice, the earth melts. No force can stand against him. He is a fortress, a refuge, the exalted King. He is nearer to us than danger, more present to us than friends or family. He lives within. He upholds and strengthens so that we, like the city mentioned in verse 4, will not fall. God will help her. God will help us.

After making these statements, the psalm gloats over one last campaign of its hero. Come and see what the Lord has done, it invites. Look how thoroughly he defeated the enemy. He makes wars cease. He breaks bows, shatters spears, and burns shields. He rules the nations for his people’s good. The destroyer he destroys. The desolator he desolates.

Evil and sin, disease and death are dealt with once and for all. God is King. He is a sovereign ruler, holy warrior, and the obvious champion. We can find our refuge in him.