Psalm 46: 

1 God is our refuge and strength,

    an ever-present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam

    and the mountains quake with their surging.

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

    the holy place where the Most High dwells.

5 God is within her, she will not fall;

    God will help her at break of day.

6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;

    he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

7 The Lord Almighty is with us;

    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

8 Come and see what the Lord has done,

    the desolations he has brought on the earth.

9 He makes wars cease

    to the ends of the earth.

He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

    he burns the shields with fire.

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.”

11 The Lord Almighty is with us;

    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Reflection:
Whenever we’re down, God is our refuge and strength! No matter our circumstances, he’s with us. We shouldn’t fear for the Lord’s with us. During these times of fear and uncertainty of upcoming events, we can feel safety and shelter through our Lord himself. The God of Jacob is our safety. That’s why we won’t be afraid—even while our world falls apart.

Through this time of social distancing, we can know God is with us. We could take this time to pray, meditate, read the Bible, and even worship in his presence. For we know he is with us through this time, and we have nothing to fear. We can take joy that no matter what God is with us. Even when we’re all alone, we truly aren’t alone for he is with us. He gives us the strength to carry on through these tribulations.

Psalm 46 was drafted after God delivered Judah from the Assyrian army. They had no escape from the Assyrian army, but Isaiah and Hezekiah held strong to their faith that God will stay true to his promise. When the Assyrian army left, and full of joy, they sang praises to the Lord. God was faithful to Hezekiah and worked in ways he couldn’t imagine. We can place our hope in the same God who still works in the same ways. We can know, like it says in verses 9 and 10, that he is still the God who makes wars cease, so we can be still and know that he is God. We can spend this time with him no matter what happens in our lives because he is marvelous and wants to be with us in our time of fear.

Prayer:
I pray that through these times that we’re all safe and that we know God is with us wherever we walk. Through the fierces fire, the raging storm, and even the emergence of an epidemic, we find that God is with us loving and caring for us. With him, anything is possible, and he wants to work something beautiful in us! In Jesus name, amen.