This transcript was generated by whisper.ai.

(upbeat music) - Hi, this is Pastor Tom, and I want to welcome you to our look at
Psalm 46 to 50, day one, we're going to look at Psalm 46 today. And I want to start
with the first part of verse 10, which is one of the most familiar verses in the
entire book of Psalms. First part of Psalm 46, 10 says, "Be still and know that
I am God.

" I have to admit that at times, I focused too much on the first part of that
verse, the be still part, and it is important to be still. It's a good thing. In
fact, if right now you just took a deep breath in, just (inhales deeply) and
(exhales deeply) let it out, you let go of some muscle tension.

You were just still and quiet for even 15 seconds. It does something good for
you. I mean, we can all agree that your body influences your attitude, that our
body and our attitude are tied together.

Our body and mind are tied together. Those are all truths. But the purpose of
being still here in Psalm 46 is not just being still.

It's not just personal rest or quietness of spirit, as valuable as those might
be. Being still is a moment of recognizing God's overwhelming power, his
indescribable power. Be still and know that I am God.

There's a reason for being still. There's power to quieting your spirit, to
being still. But this verse is about much more than that.

It's about how God causes our soul to relax by knowing that he is God. Know that
I am God. So how do I know that he is God?

Well, we know that he's God through his names. Jehovah Jireh, God is my
provider. Jehovah Shalom, God is my peace.

All through the Book of Psalms and all through the Old Testament, we're told
that we know that he's God by his actions. We see that he is God at the Red Sea
when he divided the sea, or with the manna when he fed the people, or the pillar
of fire and cloud by which he led the people. Book of Hebrews in the New
Testament tells us that now, we best know that he is God through his son.

That's how we know that he's God. There are hundreds of things that we could say
about what it means to know that he is God. Things that his names and his
actions and the son all point to.

Today, we're going to focus on what just this one Psalm tells us about knowing that
he's God. Be still and know these truths about God today. And these, because
they're in this Psalm and God has brought you to this study today, these, I have
to believe, are the very truths that God has for your life today.

You need to know that he's God in these ways today. How do I need to know that
he's God? Number one, know that God is your refuge and strength.

Psalm 46, one to three. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help and
trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the
mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and
the mountains quake with their surging.

So look, you've got the earth and the mountains and the sea, that which should
never be shaken, and it's being shaken. But because God is your refuge, because
God is your ever-present help, you will not fear. God is your tower of strength.

You may be facing something today where you need to know he is God. He is God
above that circumstance. He is God above that thing that has been shaken in your
life that you never thought could be shaken.

It was a mountain, it was a sea in your life. It could never be changed, and
it's been changed. Be still and know that he's God, that he has strength to give
you today.

Know that God is your refuge and strength. Second, this Psalm talks about
knowing that God is with you. Verses four and five.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where
the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall. God will help her at
break of day.

The phrases in these few verses, where the Most High dwells, God is within her.
Again and again, this picture of a river that's bringing the refreshing water
that makes you glad. Again and again, this picture of God's presence.

It's the picture of the refreshing water of God's presence in your life. God,
your tower of strength is also your river of joy. And it's interesting here, it
says, when you have that sense of God's presence in your life, it's talking
about the city of God here.

It says, she will not fall. Well, you will not fall. And the word fall that's
used here is the same word that was used for shake in the previous couple of
verses.

The mountains shaking, quaking, the waters roaring and foaming. Even though the
mountains may fall, you will not fall away from God's presence, not be moved.
Even though the kingdoms might fall, we're going to see in verse six, same word is
used again, you will not fall, you will not be moved because of who God is
within you.

It's interesting that at the end of verse five, he says, God will help her at
break of day. In Exodus chapter 14, 27, it was at the break of day that God did
a miracle for the people of Israel. And this is probably looking back to that.

Exodus 14, 27 says, Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and at daybreak,
the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it and the
Lord swept them into the sea. At the break of day, all the enemies were swept
away and God's presence is what was left.

Right now, today, be still and know that he is God, know that God is with you.
And whatever circumstances are in your life that are making you feel like you're
all alone, God is with you, you are not alone. And God will help you, there is a
daybreak that is coming, there is a time of God's power to be shown that is
coming in your life.

And let God be your river of joy. Let God's presence be your river of joy. When
everything else that's supposed to have given you joy seems to have been taken
away, God is still your river of joy.

Know that God's with you. And the third thing to know is know that God is all
you need, that God is your fortress of security. In verse six, six and seven,
the Bible says, nations are in an uproar, kingdoms fall.

He lifts his voice and the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us. The God of
Jacob is our fortress.

Verse 11 repeats that same phrase. The Lord Almighty is with us. The God of
Jacob is our fortress.

He is the Lord Almighty. Be still and know that he is the Lord Almighty. Why do
we turn to the less mighty when the Lord Almighty is with us?

God is all we need. In verse six, you have the nations in an uproar. When the
entire world, let's make it personal, when your life, when your world is in an
uproar, the Lord is still the Lord Almighty.

When everything is falling apart, the Lord is still the Lord Almighty. Be still
right now and know that he is God. So he says, be still.

Now in this Psalm, here's the picture, and it's different than maybe the picture
we sometimes have. These words, be still, they come at the end of a Psalm that
it's about turmoil and destruction and rage. So this is not the picture of a
mother softly telling her child to be still in a quiet, dark room.

This is the picture of the Lord of the universe shouting to a roaring and
confused crowd, be quiet, and everything is still. It's like a NFL stadium, most
exciting part of the game. Everybody is screaming and yelling, and over the
loudspeaker, somebody says, quiet, and everything is still.

Only God's voice can still listen these moments of true, true turmoil. If your
life is in turmoil right now, you need to hear the powerful voice of God saying,
be still, be still, and know that I am God. Verse 10 says, be still and know
that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth. You still
your soul in order to exalt God above it all.

So Lord, in prayer, that's what we do right now. We lift you up. We still our
soul so that we can hear your power, so we can hear the joy that you have to
give us, so we can sense your presence.

God, all the circumstances in our lives, all the turmoil we might be going
through, all even just the noise that's around us, it can cause us to miss the
truth. But when we're still, we know you're more powerful than anything. You're
present through everything.

God, you are more powerful than that thing that's bringing me fear right now.
And you are present in that circumstance that's making me feel alone right now.
And so right now, I still my soul and I know that you are God.

In Jesus' name, I do this, amen. Tomorrow, we're going to look together at some
simple directions for praise.