Psalm 46:2-3- Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah NKJV
There are times when I have to stop and focus on the Lord! That is what this week has been for me, our time. As I sit here right now, all I can think about is the majesty of God!
The psalmist wrote:
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1 NKJV
God is! He is as real today as He was when the psalmist penned these words, or when He introduced Himself in Genesis. He is as real today as when He spoke to Noah and told him to build the ark, or to Abram when He told him to leave his land. God is real!
The writer of Hebrews wrote:
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is…
Hebrews 11:6 NKJV
Faith begins with realizing that God is! There are times when people say that “He is up high but He looks down low” and I want to say that God may reside in the heavens, but He is right here with us also. Not distanced and waiting to be called, but with us already.
The psalmist told us that God is our refuge. Webster’s 1828 dictionary gives us this meaning for refuge:
That which shelters or protects from danger, distress or calamity; a strong hold which protects by its strength, or a sanctuary which secures safety by its sacredness; any place inaccessible to an enemy.
Webster Dicitionary 1828
The psalmist used the word for refuge to help us to gain a picture of the God we serve. He is the One who shelters and protects us from danger, distress, or calamity. He is a stronghold for us and protects us by His strength. He is our sanctuary and therefore He secures our safety by His holiness. And when we are in Him, we are inaccessible to the enemy.
I know human nature. You may be thinking that isn’t your testimony. You can name how Sister So and So had something really bad happen to her and she was a devout Christian. You and I both probably can name more than one. However, the word says:
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1 NKJV
Maybe we need to start focusing on what the word says about God, trusting that word, and leaving the rest for Him to worry about. For He is our refuge and our strength!
I will love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Psalm 18:1-2 NKJV
David realized that God was his refuge and his strength. When David went up against Goliath, he did it in the strength of his God. When he went out against the Philistines, he did so in the strength of his God. Our God.
Today I was remembering when my brother passed away. The day I found out was also the day I was scheduled to teach Bible study. I hurt desperately, but I needed to spend time in the Word so that grief wouldn’t overcome me. Therefore, I decided to teach anyway. But I knew it was impossible to accomplish in my strength, so I traded my weakness and pain for His strength. He didn’t fail me. He’s never failed to provide the strength that I have needed because He is my Strength!
Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah
Psalm 46:2-3 NKJV
Trouble will find its way to our doors, as it found its way to David’s door! The psalmist knew where his help and his strength came from, just as David knew.
He said that he chose not to fear. David said the same thing in one of his psalms, that he chose not to fear. He was a warrior in the true nature of being a warrior. He faced death at the edge of a sword on many occasions. He fought God’s enemies and his own enemies. His life was in danger and he was a wanted man, so David had to remind himself not to embrace fear. And there are going to be times in our lives when we will have to remind ourselves not to fear, and to keep trusting God!
The psalmist wrote that if the earth moved, he wasn’t going to allow fear to overtake him. He said that if the mountains were carried into the sea, he wasn’t giving into fear. Mountains being carried into the sea is pretty impossible, but the psalmist said that if it was possible for the mountains to be carried into the sea, he wasn’t giving into fear. He was probably looking at those mountains in Jerusalem when he penned those words!
Then he spoke of waters roaring and being troubled. That psalmist didn’t know what we know, but he believed anyway; his God was Lord over the troubled waters! In Matthew 14, Jesus walked on top of troubled waters that rocked the boat and caused fear to arise in the disciples’ hearts! But the psalmist didn’t know that Jesus would walk on water, he understood that Jesus could walk on water! So a tumultuous sea didn’t bother him because his trust was in the One who was his refuge and his strength! We know Jesus walked on troubled waters, and we know He parted waters, so we can take heart in the midst of troubled waters!
In the next part of this verse, the psalmist said that even if the mountains started to shake at the swelling of the seas, he was going to be alright! In other words, if the waters in the sea got out of control and caused the mountains to shake, he wasn’t going to participate! He was sticking with God!
Our society is looking like it is out of control. Stuff is happening everywhere! People are groaning and moaning about the state of things. Who can we trust? We can trust God in the midst of the chaos! Stating that He is our refuge and strength is more than a cliche, more than positive thinking! It’s more than just willing ourselves to think of good things. It’s declaring like the psalmist that our trust is in the God who is! The God who delivered David over and over again. The One who delivered the children of Israel countless times. The God who walked on water, and even spoke to it to be still! The One who has delivered you and me out of some tough situations. The One who will do it again!
You may have to open your mouth and declare out of the hard place that your God is God and there is none besides Him! You may have to declare that whatever your situation is, you will not give in to fear! You can speak to those raging waters and tell them you take courage in Jesus! You can speak to the storms of life and tell them you will not be moved because as you speak words of truth, you agree with God!
Find peace and safety in the God who is! The God who is your refuge and your strength! The God who is whatever you need today. Decide that even if the mountains start shaking at all the trouble going on, your help and trust is in the Lord, and you are not afraid! Wonderful Jesus!
Wonderful Jesus! 