A few weeks ago I had a dream of a tremendous tsunami wave going through England. In the dream I was in a room on the second floor, half-way up a mountain in the Lake District. The huge wave roared up the valley and those I was with were afraid that the building where we were would be swept away, but I exhorted them to not be afraid. The water did indeed flow right up to our feet but the building remained firm. I did not know how to interpret this dream immediately, but two days later I was part of a group who met in silence to listen to what God would say about the current state of our nation. During the silence I was drawn to meditate on Psalm 46 – which climaxes with the well known phrase, “be still and know that I am God…”
As I read verse 2 and 3 the dream came vividly back to me:
“Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart if the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging”
I believe that I heard the Holy Spirit whisper, “There is storm coming which you cannot avert, but if you listen to me, I will help you to navigate.”
I read on to verse 4:
“There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells..”
This contrasts so powerfully, as an image of peace, security and eternal safety. It speaks of hope through the Church, Jerusalem and the uncompromising purposes of the Living God.
Verse 6 speaks right into our current world situation:
“Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
He lifts his voice, the earth melts.”
God is Sovereign. There is global turmoil and God is certainly active in the world. At the moment that His voice is heard, his intervention is dramatic.
I believe that I heard the Holy Spirit warning that He his about to take action to shake this nation and the world, and to awaken the world to His purposes. There is a rude awakening coming for our nation which has turned our collective back on Him, His word and His plan for the nations.
The climactic verse 10 is personal and global:
“Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth”
This is a personal encouragement to those who quietly submit to the Living God and make Jesus Lord. It is also a warning to the nations and people everywhere who seek to oppose Him.
Finally, verse 11 offers a refrain of verse 7, and in doing so, gives us a key truth to understanding our time and God’s strategy in the nations:
“The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
The reference to the ‘God of Jacob’ is a pointer to the crucial role that Israel and the Jewish people have in God’s plan for the nations. The God of Jacob is personally our fortress in the imminent tsunami. In our personal lives, businesses, cities and national leadership we need to acknowledge quite clearly that it is verse 1 of the psalm where our priority should be:
“God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.”
God is calling us to turn back to Him.
John D Manwell's Blog 