Be Still and Know | Navigating Chaos With Faith | Psalm 46:1-11

Show Notes

Episode 665:
In this episode, Chris and guest co-host, Catlindt, read Psalm 46, reflecting on the themes of refuge, strength, and God's presence in times of trouble. I share insights from the Life Application Study Bible, emphasizing that God is always there to help us and that His ultimate victory is certain. We discuss the poetic nature of the Psalms and how they were meant to be sung, with Catlin noting that Psalm 46 inspired the hymn "A Mighty Fortress is Our God." This leads to a deeper conversation about the importance of music and worship in our lives.

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You're listening to The Bible Guys, a podcast where a couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun in practical ways. Well, hey, everybody, good morning. My name is Chris and I'm Katlan, and we today are the Bible Guys are because Jeff is out of town and so he's out of the country and so we've done this thing that I think has been very fun. Throughout the week, We've had a different guest every single day, and today we have Katlan uh and and by the way, it's it's an unusual name. I've never heard of it. So how do you spell Catlan? Catlin? The spell C A T L I N D T. So it's Katlan, that's what That's a joke, yes, yes, but the T represents the cross. My dad wanted a gud to follow me all the days of my life, and so it would have been weird to put in and n T, so he put a D in between them and then made them both silent. Wow. So Catlan and with the DT, which is extremely cool. Thank you. So, by the way, it wouldn't have worked if you weren't like, if you didn't have like cool vibes, if you were like the nerdy kind like, hey, my name is Katlin. Maybe work I agree, But you know, you walk in and you're you're all smooth and you're like Catlin. They're like, oh, he's so cool. That's a cool name. Thank you. Yeah, it wouldn't work on me though. So okay, So you have been on staff with us at Heritage Church at our main campus as production directory. So so in a sentence, what do you what do you do? What is that title? I am? Thanks so much for having me. First of all, you and Pastor Jeff. For sure, this is really really cool. I'm usually on the other side of the camera, so to be on this side, it's pretty cool. You went for Christmas, right, Christmas we featured you. Yeah, this, which is really cool. So some people probably really know you from that. Yeah, yeah, that's cool. But to your point, I am the production director, so I'm in charge of all of the worship experience, so all things audio, all things video, and all things lights. Now do I do all of the simultaneously? No. We have a phenomenal team yep, to do what it is that God has graced us to do. But the buck stops here, which with things go great, you're the hero right and when things go bad, uh oh, we look out. Yes, everything rises and falls on leadership, which I know you know all about. Yeah for sure. Well that's cool. So it's it's a thrill to have you and we are going to launch right into our first segment, which, by the way, I've advertised this every day, so I don't want to forget today. If you're in the area and you want to drive to Inla City to see the Bible Guys live, it's gonna be Jeff and I on April twenty fourth at the La City Campus. You got to get tickets, but they're free. Just to reserve your spot. There's only two hundred spots. But go to Herodichurch dot com slash events and we're doing an actual Bible Guys episode live on stage and it's gonna be really cool. We're gonna have some other fun as well, and there's no agenda. It's just have fun. So it's just to celebrate, get to meet some people, and you can waltz in and out. You don't have to worry about knowing anybody, but just drive there, especially if you're from the Sterling Heights campus and you want to go out there. Especially that'd be a great invitation or the Stony Creek campus. Yeah as well. Right, so here we go. So here is what I call the crazy question segment that Desiree has done for all of you. Guys. Catlin is the production director's and he has the coolest style. So she's even acknowledging that you're cool. Very humbled by that. So here is today's question. What would your kids say you're cool? Yeah? Absolutely? Okay, good, good, all right. So what's the funniest or most random fashion trend that you secretly wish you could make a comeback even though you might get weird looks? What a crazy question? Yeah, thanks Desiree. I really appreciate you on that one. Yeah yeah, what would I say crazy comeback versus style? I'll probably say the whole I'm going to answer it this way. Yep. So chivery chivalry. I'm a millennial. Yeah yeah, and the generation before me I saw many examples of that chivalry chivalry. So guys walking on the edge of the sidewalk. Oh, you're going, but you know what, your brain does work this way every. Time we're in creative going somewhere. Yeah you no, No, I'm complimenting you, because it is so much deeper than my brain. My brain would be like, fashion trend means bell bottoms, right, and you're like, no, no, no, chivalry, Yeah, is a trend. Is a fashion trend? Yes, because what your attire comes with that persona, with that perspective. You're saying, chivalry determines actual attire. Yes, because if you're going to interrupted you too early. Yeah, a little bit, but it's okay, it's a conversation. It's cool. So so when you probably when you go out with your wife, she has on a nice dress, you make sure that your tire is suitable for her. Sure, Like you just had a birthday, happy but lated birthday. So when she took you out, you didn't have on flip flops and some jeans and the regal shirt. You had a tire that was befitting of not only the venue that you were at, but complimentary to what she had on today's day. That's probably a lost art, especially in my generation and the generations after me, because you could be out with your lady and she could be dressed, you know, to the nines or whatever, and the guy would just have on some flip flops. Right, So I would bring back to answer your question, I would bring back just guys looking nice, nice, yeah, versus just getting up and going out looking like you just walked out of bed as you walk in with. A very very swanky looking outfit and I've get a T shirt off, right, Yeah, so yeah, there you go. Case endpoints the T shirt Biba guys. So, hey, what a great answer to the question. Wow, that's really good. And by the way, my wife surprised me. It was so great. She actually said, packing over and back. I didn't know where I was going. We drove from Troy, Michigan to ann Arbor, so uh so ann Arbor is a great city. I didn't know what we're gonna do. We did a massage, like a couple's massage things, so that was fun. Do you like massages? I do? Yeah, I do, yes, very much. And and then you know, especially since you know you work out and your store or whatever, it's just it's really it's really great. And then uh we went back to the tel changed and she said, now, just nice. Well packed, you know, I had I knew before I packed, but I had to wear a jacket. I had no idea where I was going none. So we dressed up super nice, and she took me to a live jazz club. Let's go. Yeah, yeah, yeah, so it was It was so cool. In fact, they sent you a video. Was it trumpet or drums? Sex saxophone? Of course because you play sax But. It was really cool. It was cool and the same guy who played the sacks was a floutist, so he so he did the live jazz with the flute. And I'm telling you, live music is my thing. I love it so much. And I told my wife, who's listening probably right now, I said, it's one of the most memorable birthdays. Not because it was like especially like the best live music I've ever heard, although I loved it, but it was more about because I love it so much. And it was like when my family cares about me enough to say, we're going to do this for you. I mean, holy cow man, driving us all the way there and doing all this and doing this just because I love it. I felt totally love great. It was great. It was great. And then and then we went to the most popular restaurant in arbor. But guess what we found out that it was actually in our in our arbor. It was hash week. Wow. So it was weed weed week. So as we're walking through the streets, we're like, why is every smell like marijuana? Because and it was. It was a we'd week, and we were like, why did we come on? We weed contact high? And it's so funny, and we were just like we were coming to our car. It was terrible. All right, well, hey, but. You made it to live to see another day and to tell the story. That's right, that's right. And speaking of getting high, oh wow. Come on, awkward transition. You know, we don't need substances in our lives because we get high on the spirit of God. Come on, Holy Spirit. That's it. That's all we need. We don't need nothing else. That is so good. It's so awful. Terrible transitions, that's what we're about. Oh man, oh, I can't believe I even started with that. Death would appreciate that for sure. So we're going to jump in the Psalm chapter forty six, and we're gonna and you are going to read all eleven verses. Okay, sweet, So this is a Psalm forty six n LT right, yes, yes, okay, cool, We'll do one through eleven correct, Okay, So God is our refuge instruments, always ready to help in the times of trouble, So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam, Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge. Verse four says a river brings joy to the city of our God, the sacred home of the most High. Verse five, God dwells in that city. It cannot be destroyed. From the very break of the day, God were protected. The nations are in chaos, and their can kingdoms crumble. God's voice thunders and the earth melts. The Lord of Heaven's Armies is here among us. The God of Israel is our fortress. So come see the glorious works of the Lord. See how he brings destruction upon the world. He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear. He burns the shields with fire. He steal and know that I am God. I'm probably this is probably my favorite verse out of the so far. I will be honored by every nation. I will be hones throughout the world. The Lord of Heaven's Armies is here among us. The God of Israel is our fortress. Wow. And so let's remind our listeners that psalms were written to music. And you're a musician. Yes, So there's a sei lah or an interlude, which means a pause right between verses seven and eight, and then obviously right after the end and verse eleven, and actually even after verse three. So this was saying in sort of three chunks, right, And so let me read the note from the Life Application of Study. Bible says this, and Psalm forty six it says the theme is described this way. God is always there to help, providing refuge, security and peace. God's power is complete, and his ultimate victory is certain. He will not fail to rescue those who love him. And this is a for a choir director. And it's a song of the descendants of Korra to be so by soprano voices. How about that? Like so it actually includes to be sung by sopranos. Wow? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, So I could sort of imagine it. I just can't get the melody in my brain, right, But I bet you back then, you know, I mean, think about how complicated the Bible describes music, even back then. In some ways it sounds even more intricate than it does today. You know, we've sort of lost the beauty of it with the technology, right and and and nowadays you can just ask Ai to make you a song and literally within five seconds they'll put up bangers, I mean like number one hits, which is crazy. And even before that, you know, just just you know, just making your own tracks electronically. But back then, the intricacies of the voices, the choirs, and it says choir directors, you can imagine just how beautiful these lyrics must have been. Yeah, you know what is cool if you have a song or excuse me, a life appicasion of study Bible, which is different than what you said. Nlt LT is the translation that's the new living translation. That's how the that's the verbidge of being translated from Greek and Hebrew and Arabic to English, but different words. But the life aupication of study Bible is how they package that translation, and they package it with a study so in that it says there's different songs that have inspired famous hymns, and it looks like Psalm forty six that you just read is the one that inspired a mighty fortress. Is our God which I grew up saying, yeah, right, I don't even remember. I don't even remember. I really don't. I bet you've I heard it. I could sing the whole thing, but it's been so long. But it's one that I knew I have sung. I think honestly, I think I sang it in Bible college. But I don't think our church sang it, like the church I worked at for seven years, this Baptist church, but we had hymndos in this church, and I don't think this was one that we sang. But I know I've sang it, and I think it was in college. But there's several on here by the way that that that I do know. But Psalm twenty three, forty six, sixty one, eighty seven, ninety one six all are famous. Yeah. What I love about this passage, thought ball, is that Soalms forty six is a poetic reminder. That's how I'm interpreted and I learned years ago. So in business, there's this thing called business strategy, right yep. But in Psalms forty six, I would like to think that this is a divine strategy that gives us a sort of a road map in navigating chaos. What do you do when storms roar, when your back is up against the wall, what do you do when there's all this sort of external noise? Right? And God is literally in verse one telling us I am your refuge and I am your stress. Right. Yeah. He takes the most fearful things at that time for humanity, earthquakes, oceans that you know obviously take out you know anything, oceans. The strength of the ocean is to be respected. And he says, hey, let the oceans roar. I mean, think about that. Think about their sailing capabilities and how primitive they were. And he says, he says, no matter what comes at you, God is our refuge and strength, ready to help us in times of trouble. And that's an amazing thought that. He's not distant or late. He's very much so present. Which is great. Yeah, river brings joy to to the city of our God. I love that word picture as well. You said poetic, right, And so as this psalm proclaims the greatness of God verse number ten, it says, this, be still and know that I'm God, which is the one you said stuck out to you, right. This is what the note says. It says war and destruction are inevitable, but so is God's final victory. And at that time we will all stand quietly before the all powerful Lord. How proper then for us to be still now, reverently honoring him and his power, Majesty, take time to be still and to honor God. Now are you a person who you do like a lot of prayer meditation for a lot of us, add people like myself, it's hard to do that. There are people that I know their gift is prayer and they say, oh, you know, the other day I prayed about ninety minutes into it and I go and I say to myself, what ninety minutes in? Zoinks? I'm thinking to myself, like, I am just the worst Christian ever, right, And to be honest, it's a lot less you know. So would I do just like any classic ady d person is, I will do like, hey, it's better to do quick snippets one hundred times a day, right, so constantly keep it going, right, So that's what I do. So I feel like I constantly pray through I got, you know, throughout the day. And by the way, I read that with Billy Graham's book, Billy Graham went to bed in his book just as I am. I think he said that he was with this other guy and this other guy was falling around and like, wow, I'm with the great Billy Graham, and so you know, he's like, this is one of the most godly men that in the world. And he says, I was so excited because he said when we got to the hotel, we're going to be in the same hotel room. And he goes, and I was so excited to hear like how Billy Graham says prayer at night. And he goes, he goes, this is like, this is like the greatest moment ever. And he says, we got into the room, we all got ready, and he says, we got into bed, and I'm just following his lead. He didn't say anything about prayers. And he goes, so I just sort of like, you know, I got into my queen size bed over here. He got into his queen size bed over there, he says, and you know, you know, shut off the light and he says, and Billy Graham said out loud, good night Lord. And that was it. And then he goes. The next day, he goes, he asked him and he says, I got to be honest, because I was expecting like this big time of prayer and he says that Billy Graham said, well, for me, there isn't a time when I'm not praying throughout the day. And he said, I'm constantly praying. And I heard that when I read the book, and I thought, I thought, that's me, and that's that's that's that's what I want to do obviously, right, and so I want to be that person. But it also made me feel better about not having like this big Okay, somebody's praying with Pastor Chris, let's make this bedtime prayer something to remember, right, right, because that's not me. And so but anyway, my original question was about you, So how do you lean? I lean your way for sure. A lot of times I am learning in this season in my life to be what's called an indecessor, if you will. And so I am getting longer with my prayers. But those are intentional time for me to pray, and then that's when I would be you know, longer in that. But the Bible is very clear when he says, like meditate on the word day to night, and so to me, those conversations are intimate moments and times and intentional times with prayer, like and all thy ways acknowledge me. And so that's when I'm at work, when I'm dealing with my family and somebody cuts me off in the middle of the road, like whatever that is, these are intentional times for me to literally pray. And so I do the same thing that you do, because otherwise I'll be honest, I'll forget, right, I will definitely forget. It's really easy, and you know this, been thirty years in ministry. Is really easy to be to do the work of God without him, right, right, And so I've learned to. Yeah, as strange as that sounds, you could be around the things of God without the presence of God or connected to the power of the Holy Spirit, because if your business is church things, then God is all around you. And if not careful, you can view that as a substitution for real intimacy with God. Right, you can make that your idol. Right, yeah, yeah, yeah, the work of God, right, correct, which is which is the Bible talks about that the Pharisees. The Pharisees righteousness was the stumbling block, right right, which is crazy to think about, but Jesus talks about that, and that is true. You know, you can make holiness and real following and routine and rituals and church, you know, actions and commandments. You could make that your thing without actually loving the Father, right, right, you know, spending time with Jesus. So you know, So what did Jesus say? You know, your loving God is your active worship. It is what is expected of you, right, just to love God. And God says in the Old Testament. You know, obedience is better than sacrifice. God doesn't want sacrifice, David says, but a broken heart broken in contract heart. He wants the relational piece of us. So yeah, that's that's all good stuff. Hey, real quick, I got to tell you this quick story. Are you familiar with doctor Charles Stanley. Yes, okay, So I lived in Atlanta for ten years and I always and growing up I always listen even in Ohio. I grew up listening to Charles Stanley. My wife loves Charles Stanley, still does, and so I listened to him all the time. Listen to me, folks, you know he's that guy. Well, anyway, he did a message a long long time ago called Meditation for Transformation and I still remember. It was like ten things to do, you know, set aside, quiet time, be still, you know, all these different things. And I've taught that many, many many at times, and I still have the notes for it. But I've always known him as that guy, and he talks about prayer closets. I've read his books and he talks about just being a man of prayer and all these kinds of things. Well, somewhere around nineteen ninety eight or so, I was in my small little Baptist church in my Baptist world at the time, and he was a part of First Baptist Church in downtown Atlanta, but they had just moved to the Avon Center on the north side of the city, and they were quite big, you know. I don't know what it was, twenty thirty thousand people, whatever it is at the time. But I knew somebody on staff who said, would you like to interview for a job here at First Baptist Church, And I was like, yeah, So I drove up there, and I won't tell you about all that stuff, but because there's a lot of observations about that, it was very interesting. But what I will say is this in Charles Stanley's office. He had built at this new facility a prayer closet. Wow, And so it was in his office and so he was just that guy. And so they said, oh, this is the doc's office. They called him the doc, and they said, and this is his prayer closet, and they just wanted to move on. I said, I'm sorry, excuse me. I said, is there any way I could open up and look at his prayer closet? And he goes, well, I'm not sure anybody's ever asked that before. And I said, how could anybody not ask that? I said, could I please? And it was pretty basic, but it was this wonderful, beautiful thing with pillows on the ground, blankets everywhere. Pretty basic. There was nothing on the walls in terms of literature, but there were photos and paintings like Psalm twenty three and Shepherds and things like this, just images. And there were blankets and pillows, but there were Bible verses everywhere everywhere. That's amazing everywhere, and and and and and and what I noticed was there wasn't a chair. There's only pillows in a blanket, which means this eighty year old man at the time I think was on his knees. Uh. And I've read his books, so I know that he's you know, he'll spend hours in there. And I got to tell you, man, there's something about that and so that so when I read be Still and Know that I'm God, that's where my mind goes. My mind goes like I need to force myself into a prayer closet moment, whether it's an actual closet or not. And I need to recognize the weight of this verse. Right, And in the midst of everything, they're talking about victory and war and thunder God's voice thunders, the Lord's armies are among us, you know, all of these great word pictures, and then he says, be still and know that I'm God. Yeah, Yeah, I don't think it's it's about literally being quiet. Is I literally think it's like letting go of. Control and reminding your problems of your God, versus reminding God of your problems like he doesn't already know. Right, So I think I think it's like Pauls before he's saying, be still and know that I'm God, Like Paus before you panic cat, Pauls to reflect, think of think, think of who I am my divine being. Think, Think that I know I had a purpose and plan for you before you were even born, before your mom and your dad even knew of each other. I I knew and had a purpose of planning for you. So think about that before you go off the deep end when you're faced with whatever you're face in. So like and and also trade control for confidence. Like when my children when it's when it when they want something to eat, they never asked me, uh, are we to eat today? They never asked me that are we going to eat today? Why? Because I feed them every day? Right, their only question is what are we going to eat? They never come to me and say or their mother and say, oh, are we going to eat today? I just want to make sure. Because you know inside note thank God, right right? Crazy God? Absolutely. So it's like them saying, I'm training my control for confidence. I'm confident in my natural father that he's going to provide food. So I feel like God is saying, hey, as your heavenly father, be still and just know that I am God. Like, remember the last time you got into a pickle? Did I not get you out of that? That's good, that's good, but hey, that is that is our time, and I think that's a great place to end. So thank you for Catlin, for being here, Callen, and and by the way, I love that your dad added the tea for the cross. It's so cool in servey time you write it or see it in print, you're reminded of that sentiment of your dad, which is so cool. But anyway, thank you for being here, and hopefully we will see you next week. Jeff will be joining us again and again maybe live on the twenty fourth at MLA City for the Bible guys, But we'll see you then.