Four ways to relax in a crisis
During times of discouragement, Martin Luther would often turn to his colleague Philipp Melanchthon and say, "Come, Philipp, let us sing the 46th.”
The 46th psalm became Luther’s inspiration for “A Mighty Fortress is our God.”
Psalm 46 has helped me through my troubling times.
Here are four main principles to focus on when you are in the middle of a crisis:
“God is my REFUGE.”
The image of a mother hen spreading her wings and gathering her chicks is common in Scripture. As long as a little bird stays under those wings and out of sight, it is out of trouble!
“God is a present help in times of trouble.”
He’s close by. He’s with you. He’s in you. He’s around you. He’s standing with you.
Stay close to Him and out of sight.
2. “I will not FEAR.”
Fear is the root of all anxiety.
“We will not fear though the earth give way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea.”
My problems are very tiny compared to the earth imploding and mountains sliding off into the sea!
Tell fear to “Go!”
Let peace rush into the vacuum that fear has vacated.
3. “There is a RIVER.”
In times of intense crisis, I let my mind drift upward to the river of life that flows through the center of the New Jerusalem:
“There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God. God is in the midst of her….God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved.”
A clear, calm, still, moving river brings incredible peace.
I love to sit by a stream in North Carolina. It’s clear waters spill over large rocks into beautiful cascades.
Sit by the river of life.
That river flows from the throne of God, and it is running right through the middle of your situation.
4. “Be STILL.”
“Be still and know that I am God.”
Jesus told the storm, “Peace, be still.”
Moses told Israel to “Be still” at the Red Sea shore.
Stillness is faith. Panic is fear.
Sit back in a chair and take a deep breath. Breathe out a prayer of worship: “Be still and know that I am God.”
No problem, no nation, no trouble can knock God off His throne.
He dwells in stillness and speaks with a “still, small voice.”
He’s God.
Now, you are ready to turn your panic into peace.
That’s the “46th.”