No Health and Wealth
Kate Bowler is a professor at Duke Divinity School. She studies something called “the prosperity gospel movement.” That’s the movement so popular in America and elsewhere that says “God wants you to succeed,” and “If you have enough faith, you’ll be always be happy and healthy,” and “If you follow God nothing will ever go wrong,” And then Kate got cancer.
Well, it doesn’t take the thoughtful person long to realize the problem with the prosperity gospel. Just think about the people here at Highland. We have lots of genuine, authentic, sincere followers of God here. Yet they have cancer. They have unemployment. They have depression. They know if you follow God things still can go wrong.
Thankfully, the Bible’s pretty honest about this. Psalm 46 is one of those honest places. Following God is no guarantee that life will be sunshine and roses. No. The authors, “the sons of Korah”–temple keepers and temple singers during the time of David and Solomon–describe the world realistically.
The Raucous and Restless World
First, they consider the world of nature:
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah (Psalm 46:2-3 ESV)
Two words used here will be used again in the psalm: “roar” (v. 3) and “moved” (v. 2). The authors picture those times when the world of nature roars and moves. They want us to hear the sound–roar. They want us to feel the movement–be moved.
While there are certainly times when the world of nature is just the opposite and is, in fact, a place where we find peace and quiet, there are other times when nature becomes a noisy and unsteady place. Thunderstorms. Earthquakes. Tornadoes. Hurricanes. Floods. Blizzards. Even followers of God have to endure the unsteadiness and suffering that comes from the world of nature that roars and moves like this.
Second, the authors consider the world of the nations:
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; (Psalm 46:6 ESV)
Two key words are used once more: “rage” (v. 6 – translated “roar” in v. 3) and “totter (v. 6 – translated “moved” in v. 2). The authors picture those times when nations rage or roar and when nations move or totter. They want us to hear the sound–rage. They want us to feel the movement–totter.
While there are times when nations are at peace and are stable and steady, there are also times when nations rise and fall; when nations thunder and rattle. Wars. Protests. Conflicts. Even followers of God have to endure the unsteadiness and suffering that comes from the world of the nations that roar and move like this.
Whether we are walking in nature or living among the nations, the authors reveal, we live in a world that is raucous and restless.
The world is raucous–it is often loud, noisy, deafening, and distracting. It roars. It rages. Winds blow. Lightning cracks. Storms howl. Politicians pontificate. Armies march. Missiles fire. Bombs explode. The world is raucous.
And it is restless. Nothing important seems to stay in place. That howling storm rips fences and houses apart. That exploding bomb tears soldiers apart. That peace accord signed one day is forgotten the next. That coach or mentor who means so much to us moves away or dies. The world is restless. There is constant movement.
We live in a world that is raucous. It roars and rages.
We live in a world that is restless. It moves and totters. It doesn’t matter how much faith you have in God. It doesn’t matter how sincere you are. In this kind of world you’re going to struggle. You’re going to have trouble.
Finding God in a Raucous and Restless World
And in that kind of world it can be difficult to see God. It can be hard to experience God. He can be hard to hear through the hurtful noise. He can be hard to find through the unsettling movement. In a raucous and restless world it can be hard to find God.
But God is there, the authors promise:
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (Ps. 46:1 ESV)
“Trouble” is the word the authors use to describe the world of nature and the world of the nations which we live in. They don’t sugarcoat things. Even we sincere followers of God live in times of trouble.
But in that trouble, God is “very present.”
The phrase “very present” is important. It can also be translated “exceedingly discoverable.” God is the kind of God who makes himself abundantly find-able. He is there. He wants to be discovered. He provides the chance for us to see him in the midst of the noise and the flux. Even in the midst of hurtful howling and unsettling movement, God is exceedingly discoverable.
This word “present” is used in a beautiful line from the Song of Solomon:
Scarcely had I passed them when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mother’s house, and into the chamber of her who conceived me. (Song of Solomon 3:4 ESV)
The one she loved was “found.” This is the same word used in Ps. 46 where it is translated “present”–God is very “found-able.” The One we love can be found. Even in a world as raucous and restless as ours.
That’s why the authors command this:
Come, behold the works of the Lord (Ps. 46:8 ESV).
Behold. Come and see. Take notice. Look. God is exceedingly discoverable. Even in the midst of the noise and the movement, he can be seen.
But how? When we are reeling from the painful and raging noise of this world; when we are staggering because of all that’s changing in this world, how do we find this exceedingly findable God, this very present God? That’s where the author finally leads us:
“Be still, and know that I am God (Ps. 46:10 ESV).
How do we discover the exceedingly discoverable God? Be still.
How do we come and see him? Be still.
How do we notice him amidst all the movement in the world? Be still.
How do we hear him amidst all the noise in the world? Be still.
We find God in a raucous and restless world when we are still.
There are several meanings wrapped up in this command “be still.” One is “let go.” To be still means to let go. God is asking us to stop our frantic attempts to try to bring order to the chaos of the world and instead let God do it.
But the primary meaning is simply to be still. To be idle.
Elsewhere in Scripture this word shows up on Pharaoh’s lips when he accuses the Israelites of being lazy. I’ll read the text in a couple of translations:
6 The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen, 7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 But the number of bricks that they made in the past you shall impose on them, you shall by no means reduce it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.’ (Ex. 5:6-8 ESV)
Pharaoh took immediate action. He sent down orders to the slave-drivers and their underlings: “Don’t provide straw for the people for making bricks as you have been doing. Make them get their own straw. And make them produce the same number of bricks—no reduction in their daily quotas! They’re getting lazy. They’re going around saying, ‘Give us time off so we can worship our God.’ (Ex. 5:6-8 The Message)
The Dictionary of Biblical Languages reports that this word “still,” “idle,” or “lazy,” was used in reference to a soldier taking off his military belt, signaling an end to fighting. It means to sit down. Relax. Stop. Be still.
Why? It’s only when we slow down and stop whatever else we are doing that what had been invisible about God in the world just a moment ago becomes visible; what had been inaudible about God in the world becomes audible. It’s only when we are still that we can hear past the rage and roar of this world and hear God. It’s only when we are still that we can see past all the movement and tottering of this world and see God’s gentle movement.
The loud roar and rage of nature and the nations can drown out the gentle voice of God. But when we are still, we are able to hear God in the midst of it all. And the violent tumult of nature and the nations can make it so hard to see what God’s up to in the world. But when we are still, we are able to finally see God in the midst of it all.
A few years ago I spent several hours a day in silence at the Memphis Botanical Garden. I had visited that garden many times before. Usually I walked through it with out of town guests or with my family at a fairly quick pace. But for those thirty days I spent four or five hours at a time there. And as I slowed my pace, I began to hear things I had never heard before. I began to see things I had never seen before. My ears began to pick up the sounds of frogs croaking, the sounds of bees buzzing, the sounds of traffic on Park rushing by, the sounds of children in My Big Backyard giggling, the sounds of so many different kinds of birds singing. And I began to notice just how many different shades of color existed in just one flower. I began to notice the many different ways the sun would play on magnolias trees during the day. All of these sights and sounds had always existed. They were always there. Exceedingly discoverable. Very present. But I had never slowed down enough to truly hear them. Truly see them.
This is what happens, especially in a world as raucous and restless as ours. When we are still. When we are idle. When we stop. This God who has always been present becomes more noticeable to us. We see his work. We hear his voice. And you will know, perhaps in a way you’ve never known before, that he is God.
Now what? I want to encourage you to purchase a small booklet and put it into practice. The booklet is called Growing with God. In it I provide sixteen different exercises that help you water your walk with God. Many of them are designed to help you be still and know that he is God. We are selling them at cost–$5. Some of them are exercises I’ve written. Others are exercises I’ve collected from other authors. It’s a resource designed to travel with you anywhere. Because of its size you can keep the book in your:
- ? Purse (read in a coffee shop)
- ? Briefcase (read while in a waiting room)
- ? Backpack (read in-between classes)
- ? Desk drawer (read during a lunch break)
- ? Nightstand (read before going to sleep)
- ? Coat pocket (read whenever you want)
Later this year I’ll host a half-day silent retreat where I’ll guide you in experiencing some of these exercises. But for now, purchase the booklet and start trying some of them out on your own. Be still this week. And know that he is God.
Let’s close by experiencing one of those exercises…
