Bible Text: Psalm 46:10 | Speaker: Dr. Harold J. Sala | Series: Guidelines For Living | Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10

The world of a certain businessman was coming apart, and as he talked about his difficulties with a friend, the man said, “What you need is a dose of 46:10!” Forty-six ten! This was new stuff to him. He knew what a .357 was, and a .38! Those are calibers of handguns—both of which are very lethal, very powerful. “What’s a 46:10?” he asked. Instead of replying directly, the friend intimated that he would send him something he would understand.

Days later the businessman received a padded envelope in the mail, and when he opened it, to his surprise he found a wooden plaque, and on the face of the plaque was an engraved inscription with the numerals 46:10. He turned it over and found these words of explanation: “Be still, and know that I am God…” (Psalm 46:10). “Ah,” he exclaimed, “that’s what a 46:10 is!”

I am absolutely amazed at the number of people who find greater strength in the power of a weapon, a cold piece of steel, than in the promises of the Almighty. On a personal note, my family will never forget the experience we had shortly after we moved to Manila. One night thieves broke into the house immediately behind ours on Quezon Boulevard and then with a knife to the throat of our neighbor, gently shook him awake and then relieved him of his money and valuables.

They crawled across the wall separating our two homes, and that was when our daughter—then a teenager—woke up hearing the voices of men crouched under the window whispering, “Americanos!” My call to security resulted in five policemen eventually arriving with guns drawn, all of whom were reluctant to go into the back yard which was now empty.

We wondered if this might frighten our children. After all, waking to the whispers of men who were less than recipients of a Sunday School attendance award can be a rather frightening proposition. The next day Bonnie picked up her Bible and read Psalm 4:8, the words of King David: “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD make me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8).

Question: What’s the source of your protection when the enemies are crouched under your window? What defense do you have? When people slander you, and you know that you are in danger, what’s your defense? A dose of their own medicine? A .357 magnum, or a 46:10? Remember, God said, “Be still and know that I am God”? The New American Standard translates the verb, be still as “cease striving.” The root of the Hebrew word means to let your hands drop. Think for a moment what would happen to a boxer who lets his hands drop, or how instinctively you reach out when your feet slip and you fear that you are falling.

When God is there to catch you, to sustain you, to protect you, to be your shield and defender, your heart will stop beating like a trip-hammer. Your blood pressure will drop, and your sweaty palms will dry.

A closing thought: The psalmist ends that great chapter with the thought, “The God of Jacob is our fortress.” And who was Jacob? A cheat, a deceiver, a thief who stole his brother’s inheritance. Nice guy? Not exactly, but the Almighty became his God. I realize that no matter what I’ve done, or how bad I’ve been, He will be my God and sustain me as well. Yes, quiet your heart, stop trying to defend yourself, and let God be your strength. That 46:10 stuff is a powerful defense.

Resource reading: Psalm 46