Psalm 46
Sunday, 04 December 2022
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. -Psalm 46:1
This Psalm encourages us to hope and trust in God and His power as His gracious presence and providence are with us in the most difficult times. The Psalmist says, even the face of utter destruction- even if the world were to end, we need not fear as God is our Refuge! God is not a temporary retreat, but our eternal refuge, providing strength in any circumstance. This Psalm directs us to give Him the glory for what He has done for us and what He will do. We are encouraged to take comfort in God when things look bleak and threatening.
There are three things mentioned in this Psalm that can strengthen us when trouble comes:
· God is a Refuge for His people (Vs.1,11)
· God is Resident among His people (Vs.5)
· God sends a River of Blessing (Vs.4)
It is the understanding of these three things that equip people to cope with trouble that has come, will come or is still around.
God’s people through the ages have known the pressure of being under attack. One example from the nation of Israel was the attack of the Assyrian King Sennacherib in the days of Hezekiah (2 Kings 18-19). When Hezekiah received the letter of threat from his enemy king, he went to the house of the Lord and spread it before Him and as he desperately prayed he said: “Now therefore, O LORD our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord God, You alone.” (2 Kings 19:19). The Lord intervened and delivered the nation. Though this nation has been continually threatened with extinction, yet God has remained faithful to them remembering His covenant to them. This is true for all who put their trust in Him- He is faithful!
As we see in Lamentations3:22-25: “The LORD’s loving kindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail, they are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. ‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I have hope in Him. The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him.” God wants us to be steadfast and not to be shaken or moved by the winds of pressure or by trials or attacks or opposition. Things might look dark in the night – but we need the confidence of His ever-present help always! God’s Power and Presence are there to help us!
Whatever pressure and trouble we might face can never be as great as what the Psalmist pictures here; yet his point is that God’s Power to protect His people is sufficient even against such great adversity— therefore, we must not fear! Vs.10 assures us: “Be still, and know that I am God…” Instead of fretting, the quiet confidence that HE is GOD Almighty who is with us will dispel our fear. We will never be disappointed if we put our trust in the Lord and His saving power. So, let us not fear but be strengthened in our being that our security and confidence is the LORD, our Fortress!
THINK ON: "Our lives are full of supposes. Suppose this should happen, or suppose that should happen; what could we do; how could we bear it? But, if we are living in the high tower of the dwelling place of God, all these supposes will drop out of our lives. We shall be quiet from the fear of evil, for no threatenings of evil can penetrate into the high tower of God." - Hannah Whitall Smith
Listen- 'The GOD of angel armies'
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