Psalm 46
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.[c]
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.[c]
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Come and see what the Lord has done,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields[d] with fire.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields[d] with fire.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Where do you find your refuge? Refuge can mean a place or person of protection or shelter, but also a source of help, relief and comfort in times of trouble. Refuge can be 'anything to which one has recourse for aid or escape.' We all need a refuge at times to get away from the world, our own world around us, problems and time to ourselves.
As for myself, I used to drive off in my vehicle with my dog to some empty parking lot and just cry, pray, and decompress from whatever was on my mind. Other times, I would just drive until I felt better. My refuge isn't found in my vehicle, but in time spent with the Lord. He is my Comfort, Counselor, Advocate, Healer, Friend and Guide. As with all believers, the Holy Spirit dwells within me and leads me towards the right path. Sometimes, we need to get away from our noise to hear Him better.
Now that I no longer drive, my laptop is my escape mechanism towards alone time with God. I can do bible studies on whatever subject is on my heart, talk with godly friends for direction, just read the Word, or do research and blog about what God leads me to. We all need to find a way to be alone and escape with God to hear Him better.
Matthew Henry says, "Psalm 46 encourages us to hope and trust in God, and his power, and providence, and gracious presence with his church in the worst of times, and directs us to give him the glory of what he has done for us and what he will do.
Psalm 46 Teaches Us:
1] To take comfort in God when things look very black and threatening
2] To mention, to his praise, the great things he had wrought for his church against its enemies
3] To assure ourselves that God who has glorified his own name will glorify it yet again, and to comfort ourselves with that,
4] To apply it either to our spiritual enemies, and be more than conquerors over them, or to the public enemies of Christ’s kingdom in the world and their threatening insults, endeavouring to preserve a holy security and serenity of mind when they seem most formidable."
"In the hardships of this life, we find safety and rest in God. The world is unstable, but “the city of God”—His habitation—is established and secure. No matter what happens in this world, God will be exalted, and those who are His will ultimately be safe. We can “be still and know” that He is God. God surrounds us and protects us in our difficulties. Note that the psalmist doesn’t state that God will remove us from the difficulty; rather, God will protect us and glorify Himself in the midst of the difficulty. He is our refuge. God provides safety. We take shelter in our relationship with Him. He is our strength. God gives us the power we need to endure hardship as we serve Him, fight spiritual battles, resist temptation, and bear up under persecution. We are weak, but He is strong. He is an ever-present help in trouble. [gotquestions.org]
Applications: [gotquestions.org]
1] True peace will not come until we are with the Lord in “the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells”. For those who belong to God, even the bad stuff has a good end! We are eternally safe.
2] The ultimate goal is to exalt and glorify God. This is the purpose of your life
3] If we would experience God’s protection, we must belong to Him through faith in Jesus Christ.
