He Who Is Closer than Chaos

Psalm 46

It’s like there are three stanzas here, with a refrain appearing in verses 7 and 11 – once also after verse 3 but lost through handing down?

The first stanza of this song (verses 1-3) celebrates resistance against the one-step-away-from-disaster sense about life. You know, one more unexpected bill and you’re done; one more fight between the kids and you’re going to really lose it. Or maybe every time you hear about an illness you think you’ve got it or will get it. Or every time your spouse commutes to work you think of the last crazy driver you encountered or heard about. Chaos is ready to pounce on your life with just one little opening.

No, the Psalmist says, we don’t give in to those fears, however real they may be. Why? Because

The Lord almighty is with us (read ‘me’ if you like);
The God of Jacob is our/my fortress.

The God who held back the watery chaos to make a place for creation to flourish (Genesis 1) intended life for us from the beginning, and he’s not about to give up that purpose and desire for us. Trouble may come, but chaos and darkness will not overtake us.

Similarly, (verses 4-7); the rage of the world can assault the center of our faith (in this case seen as Jerusalem, the City of God), but the powerful forces of nations and history cannot prevail against a people who trust in the Lord and his purose and destiny for them. Try reading verses 4-5, substituting “my heart” for “city of God.” This doesn’t speak of a geographical river anyway. So try it, yes now … “There is a river that makes glad my heart …”

And, for a people embattled by spiritual warfare and the struggle of their basic humanity rising up within their redeemed life …

The Lord almighty is with us;
The God of Jacob is our fortress.

And then (verses 8-11), there is this great summation, anticipating the living of life now in the character of the life to be brought by the coming Lord, the effect of kingdom life lived in the midst of the chaotic world: Yes, it is living hope. Why? Because of our unrealized potential? Because we haven’t yet used what is within us? Because there is a basic goodness we just have to let loose from within us? No. It can be realized because

The Lord almighty is with us;
The God of Jacob is our fortress.

And throughout cyberspace God’s people say,
“Amen.”