It does mean ruin and destruction. What it means is that God has fought for His people and conquered their enemies. He is the Divine Warrior who will not desert His people, nor will He lose to an earthly power. His sovereignty (vv. 7, 11) is reliable. Not only will He bring down the enemies of His people, He is powerful enough to bring real peace to the Earth by shattering all those who oppose and oppress—all the forces of unrighteousness. God is righteous and will bring judgment to those who stand against Him.

I was wondering what exactly it means in psalm 46:8 when it talks about the “desolations” the lord has brought to the earth. Doesn’t that mean ruin and destruction? It seems negative rather than the positivity the rest of the scripture talks about.