War and peace – Day 3
Power
Um(Imi)bhalo weBhayibheli
Ihubo 46
INkosi yethu iyinqaba
The writer of Psalm 46 zooms out. Just like in the psalms we read yesterday and the day before, this psalm is also about God as our protector. But the images that Psalm 46 uses are grand: the earth is shaken, mountains fall into the sea, kingdoms collapse.
During war, people may experience that the earth shakes and everything can collapse. It is not only the soldiers who experience this, but also ordinary citizens. But God is above it, says the psalmist, and when he speaks, everyone listens. Whatever happens, God’s end goal is clear: eventually the battle ends. Only God has the power to make that happen. He will bring an end to all wars, he will bring peace and protection to all.
God says through the psalmist that he is “supreme among the nations, supreme over the world” (Good News Translation).
How do you experience God’s power yourself and what do you notice about it in this time?
