Psalm 46
Today’s message is just going to be a golden nugget for you. We are going to be camped out in Psalm 46. Some, of you know that I love to study the stories behind our hymns and Martin used this Psalm to write a song we still sing today!
Martin Luther wrote “A Mighty Fortress is our God,” in 1527. The song exalts God! It is a paraphrase of Psalm: 46. He wrote this song during the bubonic plague.
The plague was sweeping through Europe and what is known as Germany now. So, as a result, people were leaving town.
But Luther decided to stay, because he was ministering to the people there. According, to historians, he turned his home into a hospital, and his very own son almost died.
Many historians wrote about Martin Luther fainting during a dinner; and while, all this was going on he meditated on the scripture of Psalm 46.
I think we can totally relate to Martin Luther in some ways, because the coronavirus is sweeping the world. At one point, we were all afraid to leave our houses and for two weeks we close the church doors. So, let’s look at this Psalm that gave Martin Luther and his flock the strength that they needed to endure.
Psalm 46 ( King James Version) “46 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
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.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth.
9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.
10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.”
According to verse one: “46 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” There are two truths that the Holy Spirit wants us to recognize. For example, God is all knowing and God is all powerful. Therefore, God is omniscient (all-knowing), He is omnipotent (all-powerful), and God is omnipresent (everywhere at once).
God is all power, because spoke everything into existence from nothing! God never increases or decreases in power, because he is immutable! Thus, the Scripture reads: God is our refuge and strength! The word refuge speaks to our safety and our security. God is it unbeatable fortress and unconquerable strong tower! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever more. We can find rest and relaxation in him, because of his characteristics. Nothing can touch us that doesn’t past through his hand. We have the assurance that God has our best interest in mind. Strength here means he holds us in even the most difficult times. His strength enables us to stand in our trials.
The Psalmist was writing this scripture during a time of war. Jerusalem was surrounded by enemy forces. Fear was on the hearts and minds of every resident. God was the ultimate fortress, because he preserved, protected, and empowered the people. God remains the same in our lives too, because he provides protection for us daily. In our times of weakness we should turn to God with great trust.
Next the Psalmist says: “ God is a very present help in trouble.” God is omnipresent. Omnipresent means that God is everywhere at once. God is “very present” in the sense that He has proven His ability to see and care for Us. He is not hard to see, or to perceive, but is near and accessible. That should inspire us to trust him; rather, than fear him. It is very easy for him to be present in our time of need, because he is always there.
I’m thankful that our God is in the trenches with us!
I’m thankful that God is in our boat!
I’m glad and thankful that God gets right down in our mess with us!
He is our help within the storm!
This is why the Psalmist follows into his next line: “God is very present help in trouble.” Let us continue to ponder on that for a while! Oh, aren’t we very blessed?
I think of how Covid has us to socially distance 6 feet apart, but God he is always with us, because he dwells in us.
The Holy Spirit had me to look up this word help. I found out that this Word help means Ezra. Ezra is an entire book of the Bible. God is always ready to help us. He is always meeting our needs. He always our support! He is not just a God that’s there too show up when everything is going good, don’t we have enough friends like that? But God is there through thick and through thin! Aren’t we blessed? How are we winners? Amen! Hallelujah! Glory be to God!
This Covid epidemic has shut down the world! In fact, I know who is leaning on God and who is professing to be a Christian, but really they’re straddling the fence. I’m thankful, that I knew, that I know! No matter what the world offers to us as a security blanket does not compare to the Almighty God! he is our refuge in our strength, in this time of need!
I think we can all agree that our world is turned upside down!
We find wars, define devastation,
we find unrest,
we find famine,
we find strife,
and lawlessness.
It’s tough to live in the times that we are living in! I feel like I don’t know whether I’m coming or going most days. I feel like we have to get up and tell ourselves to get moving! Just a few years ago, the future looked bright, sunny days were upon us. But, today it is mind over matter.
We have to tell ourselves that God is giving us a purpose and we must get up and put one foot in front of the other. Psalm 46 reminds us that we must have endurance. We have to obey the Holy Ghost. We have to walk by the spirit and not after this old flesh. We can’t just do what we want to do. Time is short and our time goes faster than ever. Days come and go and months turn in the years. We must have endurance! We must have determination! When we obey God we find joy, peace, and we find our purpose! In fact we find excitement and love! Instead of spreading fear and misfortune we need to provide the answer! And the answer is Jesus Christ!
Notice, in verse two that it states the following: “2 Therefore will not we fear.” As a result of God being our help we will not fear. Here the Psalmist is applying the logic of our faith. If God is a real refuge and real strength; then there is nothing that we should fear.
We should trust the Lord even in times of extreme distress. Then thePsalmists goes on to say: “though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;” The Psalmist is declaring to everyone that he trusts in the Lord and he will not fear. We see the Psalmist considering the most horrific yet humbling experiences of life. This section of scripture makes Covid look small. He speaks about natural phenomenon. Haven’t you seen large earthquakes and rapes storms that have left floods? Do you feel the earth shake antler you is a humbling experience. This is when we realize that we control nothing, but God controls it all. The Psalmist says that God is greater than all of these things. So, if we are afraid of these things; then, it robs God of some of his honor.
No wonder, at the end of the verse three he comes to that word say lol. It basically means a pause! Perhaps, the writer knew that this would be such a large nugget to digest that we would have to stop, as readers, and think. Verses one, two, and three are worthy of pause and ponder.
Verse four, gives us a very peaceful provision of God. Let’s read it together: “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.” Here, the Psalmist is telling us to hold on brighter days are coming. There was no water coming out of Jerusalem, but we know in Revelation chapter 22 that heaven will have water coming out of the Throne room. Crystal clear water that we will see! I’m looking forward to that! That gives us hope today! A heavenly blessed Hope!
Versus five and six speak about being the calm of our troubles. Though everything be going wrong God will make it Right. The Psalmist means that God will make provisions for his people. God knows how to channel life and its problems. He gives us the illustration of this beautiful body of water. The water flows and meets everyone’s needs and makes everyone happy. Perhaps, is the coming of Jesus Christ being predicted. In our dry land he is always life. This is also description of the piece of Jesus Christ. The peace that we feel from the Holy Spirit.
The city of God is glad, because He is there. Because he is a hedge of protection from its enemies.
The city of God is glad, because we are guaranteed provision.
The city of God is glad because we are guaranteed peace and love.
The city of God is glad, because he is our refuge and our strength.
And verse 7 says: The city of God is glad, because God is in the mist and we are blessed!”7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.”
He is a fortress that cannot be penetrated. He has no care about the wars that are raging, because at his voice everything will halt.
Verses eight and nine continue to declare the works of the Lord. Let’s review them now. “8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. 9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.”
The dominant idea in the first section that God was a refugee and a help; here, the idea ships to illuminate God‘s glory. At the beginning of her site it tells us to come and look around the world. See what God has done. we can see God‘s wonders all over the place. Here in West Virginia we see God‘s wonders in the mountains and in our streams. we can also see his wanderers in the seas and on tropical islands. we can behold the great works of God. however, we can see the hand of God working in human history. We can feel the hand of God in our very young life. This is the second idea A verse eight. See, God is mighty to make desolation‘s or to enforce peace and tranquility. He has the ability to change the heart of man and with this change he can and wars between countries. God‘s people are invited to look over his creation and bask in his glory.
Inverse ten, we see God, triumphing over man’s rebellion. “10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”
According to verse ten we have God speaking directly to us, because he speaks in first person. “Be still and know that I am God” he says. This means that all argument and opposition will cease. This means to be quiet in your objections and in your will, because you behold his glory! I don’t think that this means for us to chill out! This means to stop quarreling and know that he is God. Know his power and his strength.
The God of heavenly arms is with us. Verse 11 is like the repeated chorus. It states the following: “11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.”
So, I ask you: if God is with us then what else do we need? Brothers and sisters, I don’t know your life circumstances right now, but I know the God of the universe and he is with you.
God is our refuge and our ever present help! Hallelujah!
Stay Tuned… still working….
