COVID-19, inflation, now war in Europe and a general shaking of the nations have us all exhausted, unsettled, even afraid, and empty of inner peace. But God tells us, “Be still, and know that I am God!”. Forgetting what that means is a failure of good faith, and it leads us to despair, right where the devil wants us.
St. Peter also found himself in a storm that began to overtake his faith:
“But when [Peter] saw how strong the wind was, he became frightened and, beginning to sink. He cried out ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Matthew 14:30
His lack of faith, expressed by his fear, caused him to sink. His trust in God, expressed by his crying out to Jesus for help—set him right.
Like St. Peter, many of us are looking at the strength of the wind/storm of our time, and we are sinking out of fear. We are sinking in our hearts, in our spirits, in our faith. So we haver to cry out to God in good faith that he may set our hearts right. When I came across Psalm 46, I felt like it was the perfect Psalm for these times where we must cry out to God, listen to his voice, and find peace in what he tells us.
Now without getting in the way by saying too much more, I’ll just leave you to it. Read it over slowly and contemplate it. Use it as a prayer, and let God care for you in these times
God is for us a refuge and strength,
a helper close at hand, in time of distress,
so we shall not fear though the earth should rock,
though the mountains fall into the depths of the sea;
even though its waters rage and foam,
even though the mountains be shaken by its waves.
The Lord of hosts is with us:
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
The waters of a river give joy to God’s city,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within, it cannot be shaken;
God will help it at the dawning of the day.
Nations are in tumult, kingdoms are shaken:
he lifts his voice, the earth shrinks away.
The Lord of hosts is with us:
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Come, consider the works of the Lord,
the redoubtable deeds he has done on the earth.
He puts an end to wars over all the earth;
the bow he breaks, the spear he snaps.
He burns the shields with fire.
“Be still and know that I am God,
supreme among the nations, supreme on the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us:
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
