Finding God’s Grace in a Tumultuous World – Psalm 46

Not with noise, but in quiet whispers, God’s grace flows into our hearts. And we gain a quiet confidence, because we know our God is with us. How to find God’s grace in a tumultuous world.

Some days we welcome the reminder of God’s flowing grace and His incredible timing. Let’s dig into the second part of Psalm 46 and let it soothe our souls.

 

Psalm 46:4-7 (ESV)

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.     Selah

 

Digging into God’s Word

The mother of three carried her earthen jug to the pool, lowered it to let the water rush in, and turned to make her long trek home. As she plodded along, holding her youngest’s small hand, she considered all that the water would provide that day. She would set a little aside for her children to drink. The plants in her small garden would gladly soak up the portion she would shower on them. She would bake bread and boil stew with the remainder.

She had learned to be thankful for the little things in life. With no water source within the city walls, what would she and all the people of Jerusalem, the city of God, do without the water funneled from the Gihon Spring?

“The spring emerged in a cave on the eastern slope of the City of David above the Kidron Valley, and from there water flowed into the valley, watering the terraced, agricultural plots on the slope of the City of David” (Biblical Water Systems).

In biblical times, several waterworks were developed to collect the water in pools, and these reservoirs supplied the city with water.

And so we read Psalm 46:4:

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.

(If you love cool archaeology, check out the Extra Info at the end of this devotion!)

To a one, commentaries relate the river and its streams to God’s grace flowing into our lives:

Thus, says our psalm, not with noise, not with tumult, not with conspicuous and destructive energy, but in silent, secret underground communication, God’s grace, God’s love, His peace, His power, His almighty and gentle Self flow into men’s souls. Quietness and confidence on our sides correspond to the quietness and serenity with which He glides into the heart. Instead of all the noise of the sea you have within the quiet impartations of the voice that is still and small, wherein God dwells. (From MacLaren’s Expositions)

Oh, read that again and take in the beauty of the words: Into our chaotic hearts, into our driven, striving lives, glides God’s grace, giving us quietness and confidence to face the noise of the world and the tumult of our own hearts. Grace! The free and unmerited favor of God.

As we learn to trust God’s grace, we start to trust God’s timing.

What an assurance God gives us in verse 5, “God will help her when morning dawns.”

The Lord is up betimes. We are slow to meet him, but he is never tardy in helping us. Impatience complains of divine delays, but in very deed the Lord is not slack concerning his promise. Man’s haste is often folly, but God’s apparent delays are ever wise; and, when rightly viewed, are no delays at all. (From The Treasury of David)

For what do you need God’s grace today?

For what do you need to trust God’s timing?

Oh, Holy Spirit, open our hearts to your flowing grace and incredible timing.

 

Digging Deeper: Treasuring God’s Grace

Enjoy this precious time with the Lord. Reflect on or journal about the following questions, listening for what God has to say to you.

1. What memories of gently flowing rivers or streams do you have? Maybe you remember a walk in the woods as a child or a quiet place for reflection as an adult. My mom will smile at the memories we have of watching playful river otters and busy beavers on quiet streams during our summer vacations. Why might quiet, smoothly flowing streams represent God’s grace to us?

2. God’s grace is the free and unmerited favor of God. It is receiving what we don’t deserve. Think about all of the blessings God has given you that you do not deserve. If you’re a list maker, go for it!

3. The psalms are filled with descriptions of calming streams and rivers. Enjoy a quiet time with the Lord, letting this song, based on Psalm 42, soothe your soul: As the Deer

Did you miss the first devotion on Psalm 46? You can find it here: How to Know God Is Our Refuge When You Can’t See It

 

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Extra Info!

In 2011, in the process of digging a new railway line, workers discovered a river flowing underneath Jerusalem. As you learn more about the Bible and run across passages having to do with water flowing from the city of God, including passages about the Last Days, you’ll find this archealogical discovery a bit jaw dropping!

Can we just stand back and bow in awe of God’s Word?

At the following links you can read articles related to this:

New Train Points to Underground River in Jerusalem

Israel’s Largest Underground Stream Discovered This article begins with a few Bible passages of interest. Scroll past the map to see the news article about the excavation.

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