If we adopt the thinking of Psalm 46, should we expect a miraculous deliverance from trouble? No. God does not need to work a miracle to help us in trouble. The miracles of the past continue to teach us (cf. John 20:30-31); their repetition is unnecessary for the accomplishment of His will. Trust in Him, believe in Him, for the Lord has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb 13:5). Do you believe Him? Isn’t it comforting to know that if the world falls apart, if the unthinkable happens, in the end we’ll be saved? Paul, in a Psalm 46 frame of mind, says also, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:31-32). Both the psalmist and Paul invite us to accept God’s love and presence in our lives based on what God has done in the past. Thus, calm confidence should adorn God’s people–no matter what. “Be still, and know that I am God”. “Be still” considers that we are finite and God is infinite. That being the case, we need to drop our hands, relax, and “chill out.” This spiritual calm that God commands does not come from a lack of troubles; it derives from a steady, deep reflection on the ways God has intervened in history on behalf of His people. God’s past provides calm for our future. He is the ruler of kingdoms of this earth and the all-powerful Creator of the universe. We may be pressed, perplexed, and pursued, but not unto despair (cf. II Corinthians 4:8-9). If you are the last man or woman standing, be still, stand fast, and be strong. “Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;” (Psalm 46:2). For the elders, Gregg Woodall