Dave's Diary

Daily Readings: Psalm 34 and Psalm 46

Today you’re invited to memorise Psalm 46:10:

He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.’

First commit it to memory … and then meditate on it throughout the day in light of Psalm 34.

The stillness, restfulness and peace of Psalm 46:10 seems to be a very elusive experience for most people today. We may not live in a war-torn nation, but conflict, stress and anxieties are rampant in our society for many different reasons. In the midst of all that troubles us, God longs for us to experience His peace. The key to this stillness is, “Know that I am God”. It is a call not to allow ourselves to believe that the situations that trouble us have the ultimate power over our lives and our futures. This power belongs to God! Remember Who God is; and remember who/what is not God!

In 1 Samuel 21, David was in mortal danger, but he remained calm and found an unlikely solution. In the end, it was feigning insanity that saved his life. After this experience, he wrote Psalm 34, which seems to hint at how David focussed his mind on God to keep himself calm during his great distress. When we need to find stillness in the midst of a great storm, we’re encouraged to centre our minds on God’s power and sovereignty over our lives by remembering His greatness and praising Him for who He is (v.1-3); by seeking the Lord and praying to Him for rescue (v.4-7); by taking refuge in the Lord and standing in awe of Him (v.8-10); by focussing on pleasing the Lord, not other people (v.11-16); and instead of denying them, expressing our troubles, heartache and brokenness to the Lord in prayer (v.17-18).

He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.’ (Ps. 46:10)

May you be granted the grace today to be still and know that the LORD (and nothing else) is God in your life! Amen.