The true greatness of God is something that we simply cannot understand.  His strength is beyond our comprehension.  Paul puts it like this:

Ephesians 3:20 (ESV)
²⁰  Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

Do you see this?  God can do more than we can even think.  Nevertheless, it is good for us to look at what the Bible says about God, and marvel. 

Psalm 46:8 (ESV)
⁸  Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth.

The Hebrew word for behold means to gaze upon, and then to contemplate (Strong).  The Psalmist wants us to consider the mighty works of God in order to remember just how great He is.

In the context of Psalm 46, the Psalmist is encouraging the Jews to turn to God in times of trouble (ver. 1).  Most scholars believe that he is referencing the time when Sennacherib and the Assyrians attacked Judah, boxing in Hezekiah and the Jews in Jerusalem like a bird in a cage.  Defeat looked inevitable for God’s people, but God stepped in and defeated the mighty Assyrian army.  He “brought desolations on the earth.” 

2 Kings 19:34-35 (ESV)
³⁴  For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.” ³⁵  And that night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.

With God for us, who can stand against us?  No matter what the trouble may be that invades our lives, God is strong enough to conquer it.  The Israelites went to bed in trouble, probably terrified that the Assyrians would attack them at any time and wipe them out.  They arose in the morning to a brand new situation.  The enemy was defeated.  Their problem, which they thought was insurmountable, was solved.  “…behold the works of the Lord.”

While the problems we face may be different, the God we serve is the same.  To be comforted in times of difficulty begins with contemplating the awesome power of God, and realizing that He is with us.  God said, “Be still, and know that I am God” (ver. 10), and we are assured that “the Lord of host is with us (vers. 5, 7, 11).

The God who is with us is no ordinary being.  He created the heavens and the earth by simply speaking them into existence.  In another place, the Psalmist said, “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host” (Psalm 33:6).  Now, that is power, and that power works in us (Ephesians 3:20).

Sometimes there is nothing to do but gaze upon the power of God and be in awe.  Then, in times of trouble, realize that this God is with us, helping us to overcome any obstacles of life that might stand in our way.  Let us trust and obey Him as we travel through this journey of life.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.