New Light on the 46th Psalm by Rev. Teresa Stuefloten, M.Div. 10/11/2026

Good morning! This is Rev. Teresa. This morning I am speaking about Psalm 46. I will be quoting from the book, “Songs of God, An Interpretation of My Favorite Psalms,” by Rev. Dr. Joseph Murphy, D.D. Ph.D. LL.D. D.R.S. who was a prominent Divine Science minister of the 1900s. He drew thousands to his Sunday services and his lectures on the power of the mind. He was a pioneer in the human potential movement. He wrote more than 30 books and was widely admired in the New Thought community. I like Dr. Murphy’s insight into the deeper meaning of the scriptures.

I will begin by reading Psalm 46 in its entirety from the Aramaic translation by George Lamsa.

1 GOD is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

2 Thou hast been with us always; therefore will we not fear when the earth quakes and mountains are shaken into the heart of the sea,

3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the force thereof.

4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of our God, The holy place of the most High.

5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God shall help her in the early morning.

6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms trembled: he raised his voice, the earth quaked.

7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

8 Come, behold the works of God, for he does wonders in the earth.

9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and cuts the spear asunder; he burns the chariot in the fire.

10 Be still, and know that I am God; I am exalted among the heathen and I am exalted in the earth.

11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Holy Bible From The Ancient Eastern Texts: Aramaic Of The Peshitta by George M. Lamsa (1933)

Dr. Joseph Murphy begins his interpretation Psalm 46 with this introduction:

   “Among the many great and outstanding prayers in the Bible, one of the most wonderful is called the 46th Psalm. When you study and contemplate the meaning of this Psalm, you will be inspired and lifted up, enabling you to rise above any difficulty. It is a magnificent antidote to fear, worry and anxiety.”

   “The object of all prayer is to lift up your mind and heart to the realization that with God all things are possible. The 46th Psalm enables you to do that. You will discover as you meditate on the inner meaning of this profound poem that fear, doubt and troubles will melt away in the sight of God’s love.”

   “All the Psalms teach that you should have faith in God and all things good. An excellent practice for you to take up is to constantly affirm as follows: ‘I believe in God and I know God is the Spirit within me, the Life Principle. I believe that this Presence and Power created me, sustains me, loves me and seeks to express love, light, truth and beauty through me. This Presence is instantly available to me and I trust this God Presence completely, which never fails.’ ”

   “Continually reaffirm these simple truths and you will succeed in impregnating your subconscious mind through repetition, faith and expectancy. All this is prayer, which transforms your life by clearing out the fears, doubts and false beliefs embedded in your subconscious mind that are the cause of your difficulties.” (End of quote)

In Divine Science we know that prayer is not begging God for something because God already provides us with all that we need to thrive. Prayer is affirming what we know to be true and bringing it into manifestation. Dr. Murphy is affirming Truth with the prayer he is recommending for us in this introduction, which is: “I believe in God and I know God is the Spirit within me, the Life Principle. I believe that this Presence and Power created me, sustains me, loves me and seeks to express love, light, truth and beauty through me. This Presence is instantly available to me and I trust this God Presence completely, which never fails.” This is an affirmation of Truth principle. Dr. Murphy is saying that we can release the false beliefs in our subconscious mind by repeating these truths so that they permeate our subconscious mind with Truth, which will change the negativity we are unconsciously creating in our life to positivity.

Dr. Murphy goes on to interpret the first verse of Psalm 46:

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Dr. Murphy says, “Here the Psalmist is very definite and to the point. He announces the omnipresence of God, or the Living Spirit Almighty within you. Then he elaborates on three great truths. For example, he says God is our refuge. A detective told me a few days ago, for example, that he was fired at by three dope smugglers but that no bullet touched him, for his constant prayer is: ‘God is my refuge and protection.’ By repetition he has engraved this truth in his subconscious mind, which responds accordingly.”

   “God is boundless love, infinite intelligence, absolute harmony, boundless joy, absolute wisdom and is all powerful. These are some of the qualities and attributes and potencies of God. As we dwell on these attributes, we begin to realize the wonders of it all and are seized with a sort of mystic awe.”

   “This detective discovered that the limitless power and love of God was his refuge. The power of the Almighty is your strength. You can appropriate as much power as you wish by focusing your attention on the Only Presence and Power. As you regularly claim and feel this Power animating and sustaining you, you will appropriate more and more of God’s power, and wonders will happen in your life.”

   “You must learn a fundamental truth: God has done everything for you, created the world, given you a reasoning mind and the power of imagery and the capacity to choose. You are here to discover and release the God Presence within you. Remember,  God does nothing for you except through you, i.e. through your own thought, imagery and feeling. When you call on this Supreme Power, you will discover a response, ‘a very present help in time of trouble.’” (End of quote)

The omnipresence of God is a very important concept in Divine Science. Many of us have been raised with the false belief that God is in a far off heaven and we need to beg for God’s mercy. The omnipresence of God means God is present everywhere, within each of us and all around us, in every person and every circumstance we encounter. God is there, a very present help. God is with us as we go about our daily life, and at night as we sleep. When we affirm God’s help, it is not to a remote God, but to a God within us at every moment.

This Truth is beginning to be known in traditional denominations also. At the Lutheran ordination I attended a week ago, the Bishop reminded the congregation that God is within you and all around you. I was so happy to hear this Truth preached by a leader in the protestant faith, which is so different from what I was taught as a child. How much more comforting is the immanent presence of God within you, rather than far away. This is a Presence we can trust in times of trouble.

Dr. Murphy goes on with his interpretation of verses 2 and 3:

Psalm 46:2-3: Thou hast been with us always; therefore will we not fear when the earth quakes and mountains are shaken into the heart of the sea, Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the force thereof.

Selah.

   Dr Murphy says, “You are told there is nothing to fear, for God is the only Presence and Power and there is nothing to challenge omnipotence. The scientific, spiritual thinker does not give power to conditions, circumstances or any created thing, as these things are an effect, not a cause. Neither do you give power to any person, place or thing. You decree, believe and insist on all around harmony and peace, which is God’s will for you.”

   “When the Psalmist speaks of the earth, he means any manifested state in your objective world, such as your business, your home life, your body, your environment, your relationships with relatives, business associates, and your financial status, which all come under the meaning of earth.”

   “The Palmist says that even though everything is upside down and everything is chaotic, as if, for example, you lost your health or your money, your home burned down, your friends deserted you, and all doors close to you and you see no way out, yet you need not be afraid, for God’s love surrounds you, enfolds you and enwraps you. Love casts out fear. The mountains spoken of represent going up the hill of God. It means you begin to climb the mountain as you begin to think about God and His power and wisdom. This is why you read elsewhere in the Bible about Jesus, Moses and others going up the mountain.”

   “Sometimes when you pray, things seem to get worse instead of better for the simple reason that you are cleansing the derelicts in your subconscious mind and they have been so long entrenched there that they are putting up a fight. It is somewhat similar to spring cleaning: on the surface everything seems all right, but when you start moving the furniture and cleaning the whole place, you create a lot of dust you did not see before. When that happens, you remain unmoved and undisturbed, knowing it is God in action and that the day will break and all the shadows will flee away.”

   “ The waters in Verse 3 represent your emotions. As you contemplate Divine law and order and Divine harmony, the waters, your emotions, will be stilled. Selah means tranquility, rest, quietude. It means that state of mind in prayer in which you relax and give thanks and rejoice for the Divine solution through the wisdom of the Almighty.” (End of quote)

Dr. Murphy’s explanation that God is the only Presence and Power is another very important concept in Divine Science. We tend to give power to things of the Earth and the physical life, thinking that these things have power over us. This is so easy to do because we see these things in the physical realm. We hear about all of the difficulties in the physical world nightly on the news. It seems like world leaders have power over us, but this is not true. God is the only Power, but we will not experience this if we are giving power to earthly leaders.

We are all a part of the collective consciousness that affects all of us. If we put fear into the collective consciousness we intensify collective fear. If we put love, harmony, peace, kindness, compassion and the knowledge that God is the only true Power into the collective consciousness, then we strengthen the higher thoughts of love, harmony, peace, kindness and compassion in the collective consciousness. This is how we bring about peace on earth, through our uplifting positive thoughts of Truth.

Dr. Murphy goes on with his interpretation of verse 4:

Psalm 46:4: There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

Dr. Murphy says, “This is a very beautiful phrase, pregnant with spiritual meaning. The river is a symbol of movement. It is always flowing somewhere. All the rivers, rivulets and streams seek their way back to the ocean. The river is flowing towards its destination.”

   “You are always going somewhere in mind, but our ultimate destination is union with the Infinite, the source of life. You have a river of thoughts, ideas and images constantly flowing through your mind. These thoughts and mental imagery should conform to eternal principles and lead you to ways of pleasantness and paths of peace.”

   “ The city of God is your own consciousness and the people who dwell there are thoughts, ideas, opinions and beliefs. If all your thoughts and beliefs are based on eternal verities which never change, then your mind is a city of God. You are the tabernacle of the living God, and your mind is a glad city when the light, love and truth of God shine through all your thoughts, actions and reactions.” (End of quote)

Dr. Murphy is pointing out the importance of the content of our thoughts. Our mind is always going. Do we pay attention to the thoughts that we hold. Are our thoughts positive or negative? My late husband, Rev. Mark’s motto was, “Positive Thinking = Positive Results.” We cannot expect positive circumstances in our life while constantly allowing negative thoughts to flow through our mind. It is important to be vigilant in monitoring our thoughts. When we catch ourselves in negative thinking, that is our opportunity to turn our thoughts around and affirm positive thoughts. There is a saying that “Thoughts held in mind create after their kind.” Negative thinking creates negative results. Positive thinking creates positive results.

Dr. Murphy has a short interpretation of verse 5:

Psalm 46:5: God is in the midst of her: she shall not be moved: God shall help her, in the early morning.

Dr. Murphy says, "A promise of God is a response to your prayer, and God never fails. This attitude cancels all doubt and fear.”

Dr. Murphy goes on with verses 6-7:

Psalm 46:6-7: The heathen raged, the kingdoms trembled: he raised his voice, the earth quaked. The Lord of hosts is with us: the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Dr. Murphy says, “The heathen means your negative thoughts, fears, doubts, worries, self-condemnation and shortcomings, which challenge us or lay siege to your mind. How often have you had vague fears or doubts regarding the outcome of a protracted lawsuit? Perhaps the thought of losing everything came into your mind, the false allegations of witnesses troubled you, or anger and resentment raised their ugly heads for days and weeks. But if you hold steadfastly to the following prayer, you will triumph:

   ‘The Infinite law of justice, truth, love and harmony operates perfectly for me and all concerned. The truth of God prevails, and I give thanks for the Divine harmonious solution.’ Hold steadfastly to the truths in that prayer by constant reiteration of these truths. Sooner or later the kingdom of error, lies and false allegations shall be moved. He will ‘utter his voice,’ which means you will hear and experience the joy of answered prayer.”

   “The Lord of hosts means the Lord or God of all manifestation, indicating the omnipotence of the Infinite. Jacob is the mind that is awakening to the Presence and Power of God within him and is beginning to use the Power. Jacob means yourself with your difficulty or problem and all of your imperfections; but you are told that if you turn to God, God will respond and wipe away all tears, and there shall be no more crying.” (End of quote)

Perhaps you have not had a lawsuit, as Dr. Murphy uses as an example. But perhaps you have had a problem at work where someone has made a false allegation, or a supervisor has been unjustly critical of your work. In this situation you might fear losing your employment, and it certainly does not feel good to have unjust criticism at work. This can affect your feeling about your workplace and your daily experience there. Dr. Murphy’s affirmative prayer is a practice we can use to counter negativity in the workplace: “The Infinite law of justice, truth, love and harmony operates perfectly for me and all concerned. The truth of God prevails, and I give thanks for the Divine harmonious solution.” This affirmative prayer can bring peace and harmony to your experience of your workplace.

Dr Murphy goes on with his interpretation of verses 8-9:  

Psalm 46:8-9: Come, behold the works of God, for he does wonders in the earth. He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow. and cuts the spear asunder; he burns the chariot in the fire. 

   Dr. Murphy says, “Here again, we are dealing with symbolic and figurative language. In ancient times, when soldiers were defeated in battle, the conquering army smashed their bows and spears and burned their chariots, which, of course, rendered them helpless and they were completely disarmed and out of action.”

   “The war he is speaking of takes place in our own mind. The fears, worries, anxiety, resentment and hostilities represent a battle in the mind. When we call on God’s river of peace and love, our mind is restored to balance, serenity and equanimity. The power, the glory and the wisdom of the Infinite Presence destroys, neutralizes and obliterates all the negative patterns in our mind. As we exalt God in the midst of us, we will annihilate and burn up all the fears, worries and destructive emotions.”

(End of quote)

We often fill our minds with fears and worries of things that may never happen. This is a pattern of thinking that needs to be released. Practicing the Presence of God, and training ourselves to be in the present moment, is an antidote to worry and fear about the future. The only place we can truly live is in the now. The past is gone and the future has not yet come. Break the bows and spears of negative thinking by being in the present moment. We can appreciate all that is in our life right now. We can be grateful for the blessings that are ours in this moment. Make peace with the war in your mind. Allow God’s river of peace and love to flow in your mind.

Dr. Murphy continues with his interpretation of verses 10-11:

Psalm 46:10-11: Be still and know that I am God: I am exalted among the heathen, I am exalted in the Earth. The Lord of hosts is with us: the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Dr. Murphy says, “Verse 10 is the key to the whole Bible and the key to your health and happiness. You are told to still the wheels of your mind, to relax, let go and ponder the great truth that when you say, I AM, you are announcing the Presence of God within you. I Am is a nameless name, meaning Being, Life, Awareness, Self-Originating Spirit, Unconditioned Consciousness, Life. In the presence of any difficulty, problem, sickness or lack, the first thing you do is to quiet your mind and realize that the I AM in you is God, and God knows only the answer and the way out of any trouble.”

   “Turn within quietly and realize that the outer condition is an effect, not a cause. Then contemplate that God knows, and God cares, and that God is bringing about a Divine solution now. The still contemplation that is God in action now is the quietest and most powerful action of all.” (End of quote)

Turning within quietly is meditation, listening to the voice of the peace of God within. When we go within in meditation daily, opening our mind and consciousness to the Divine within us, we invite the Presence and Power of God to permeate our entire life with Divine Love, peace and harmony. We can change our outer life when we turn within to the Truth of the I AM. When we know that we are truly a Divine Expression of God, our entire life can be  a blessing.

And remember that we attach only positive qualities any time we say I AM. I am love. I am peace. I am joy. I am kind. I am caring. I am compassionate. I am strong. I am brave. I am beautiful. And you are! And so it is!