“Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah” (Psa 46:10–11).
Within the meaningful arrangement of the Psalms, Psalm 44 is the “before photo” (God is not with us and we are defeated in battle), Psalm 46 is the “after photo” (God is with us and makes wars cease), and Psalm 45 is the “cause” (the divine Messiah has come in the flesh and invited his bride into his palace). Because Psalm 46 is eschatological in context, it inspires hope as a promise yet to be fulfilled. The Messiah King will reign from the Eden–like city of Jerusalem, and nations will no longer learn war.
To my great joy, this became a powerful way to turn the future reality of Psalm 46 into a present reminder that the LORD of hosts is with me today.
Because God is faithful, Psalm 46’s vision of future peace gives us peace even now, though the world remains filled with turmoil, wars, and hatred. A dear colleague once taught me a practical exercise to make the truths of this psalm tangible. The verb “cease striving” (“harpu”) in both biblical and modern Hebrew can mean “to release one’s grip” (see Josh 10:6; 2 Sam 4:1; 24:16; Isa 13:7; Jer 6:24; 50:43; Ezek 7:17; 2 Chron 15:7). One day, noticing how tense and frustrated I was by ongoing challenges, he cited Psalm 46:10 and told me to grip as tightly as I could with both hands, as if holding all my problems, then release them with palms facing upward, giving them to God. To my great joy, this became a powerful way to turn the future reality of Psalm 46 into a present reminder that the LORD of hosts is with me today.
Dear friends, let us loosen our grip on all that troubles us as an act of trust that God’s hands are big enough to carry our burdens and still hold on to us.
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:6–7).
