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Psalm 46:8-10 - Come, behold the works of the LORD, how He has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the chariots with fire. "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"
When our psalm invites us to "behold the works of the LORD," we may think of the beauty of God's creation. We see His works in a colorful sunset, in the vast expanse of stars in the night sky, and in a majestic mountain landscape. Scripture tells us, "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork" (Psalm 19:1). Our psalm verses call us to behold very different works of God. We are invited to see how the Lord "has brought desolations on the earth." These works are not the beautiful scenes we enjoy. The desolations are works of devastation and ruin. The desolations God has brought are acts of divine judgment against nations. At His command, wars cease. He breaks weapons and shatters all of the tools of war. Kingdoms rise and fall by His command. "He makes nations great, and He destroys them; He enlarges nations, and leads them away" (Job 12:23).
Jesus commanded the wind and waves on the Sea of Galilee, "Peace! Be still!" (Mark 4:39b). With a similar command, God orders the warring nations, "Be still, and know that I am God." The raging kingdoms constantly seek to dominate one another, but God commands them to be still and acknowledge His absolute lordship. We acknowledge His lordship because by faith we behold in the Word of God another scene of desolation—the Son of God, our Savior, nailed to a cross.
With the desolation of war and strife, God brought judgment on nations that waged war against His people. In the desolation of the cross, in the death of His Son, God judged and condemned the sins of the world. In Jesus' death on the cross and in His victory over death, we behold the works of the Lord that brought about our freedom. He broke the chains of sin that enslaved us, and in Baptism He creates us anew. When the Good News of salvation is proclaimed, God calls to the nations to behold His works—the desolation of the cross and Jesus' victory over death on the first Easter morning. Through the preaching of the Gospel, God invites the nations, "Be still, and know that I am God!" When Jesus returns on the Last Day, He will gather the nations to stand before His throne. On that great day, the nations will become still and at the Name of Jesus every knee will bow, "in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10b-11). It will be a sight to behold!
WE PRAY: Lord, in Your mighty works I behold Your majesty and saving power. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler.
Reflection Questions:
1. In what ordinary things do you see the works of God? Give some examples.
2. What has God done through Christ's desolation on the cross to bring about our redemption?
3. What does being still before God look like in our busy lives?
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