The sons of Korah who authored this Psalm were descendants of Korah from the Kohathite rebellion (Num. 16). They knew a God who could cause the earth to swallow grown men whole. Rather than being destroyed with their father and those who had rebelled, the line of Korah did not die out (Num. 26:10-11). Had the descendants of Korah chosen to separate themselves from him, deciding instead to listen to the word of the Lord? Their experiences emphasize the value of not giving way to the temptations and fears of the world, but rather listening to and obeying the Lord of heaven and earth.

As global nomads, we see our world from the locus of interpretation of being foreigners – and find ourselves guessing. We struggle to discern what is happening and the related risks. Through international incidents, local misunderstandings, and natural disasters, myriad are the opportunities to give way to fear.

There have been times, by God’s grace, that rather than give way to panic, I have been able to hear and listen. It is in those times that I see His glory and know His peace.

After visiting a friend across town, I ran through the rain, buckling my toddler into the car to drive our huge van back home. Except the van wouldn’t move. The rain had partially washed out the road, causing one of the tires to fall in a ditch. The wheels of my heart scrambled to find secure footing as I vainly spun through my mental Rolodex of who to call – everyone was busy and far away.

“Jesus help me,” I cried into the deafening storm. 

“Be still,” said that familiar voice.

Before I knew it, there was a knock on my window. I rolled it down to find a strange man who calmly told me to start the van, to not turn the wheel, and to be ready to drive in just a minute. Wading through the rivulets rushing down the road, he then somehow lifted the van on his own strength. Setting the van down, he yelled at me to drive off before the road gave out more. 

I pulled the van forward and stopped to thank him. The man was not to be found. To this day, I do not know who he was or how he came to help me. But I do know that when I was an unknown stranger in a helpless situation, God told me to be still, I listened, and He provided.