Winter Feast for the Soul – Day 2

It is day two of the 40-day meditation practice to which I’ve committed, Winter Feast for the Soul.

Today’s scripture was a quote from Psalm 46: 10,

“Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.”

The whole psalm talks about war and trouble. Psalm 46 is the same passage from which Martin Luther (1483-1547) took the inspiration for the hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God“.

In Hebrew verse 10, refers to laying down your arms, becoming vulnerable, undefended. Lay down your arms and be still. This calls us into radical stillness and into the knowledge of God.

For me the background of the passage was an interesting juxtaposition to contemplate. Can I only lay down my armour, the shields I have taken on as security in my world, the defenses I have built up, when I know that God, Divine Love, is waiting to encompass me with a fortress of love and strength? What amour do you carry which is preventing you from being fully open to, and garrisoned by, Divine Love?

* This poster design, a white silhouette of a vintage crown, is based on the popular “Keep Calm And Carry On” retro motif, which came from the Second World War when the British government produced it as a propaganda poster to raise the morale of the British public.