God Is Our Refuge And Strength Series

Scripture

Wally and Eleanor Turnbull, veteran missionaries to Haiti, collected and translated the prayers of some Christians who live in the mountains of Haiti. These profound and child-like prayers are recorded in their book God Is No Stranger. Here are just four prayers about God’s grace and protection:

• Lord, all my life, I have been just a weed; I became a flower. I am young and I want to grow and be cultivated so I can become more beautiful.

• Lord, in Christ, we are a grain of corn in a clear bottle. Satan comes like a chicken and pecks for the corn, but never reaches it.

• Lord, how glad we are that we don’t hold you, you hold us.

• Lord, don’t let us put our load of trouble in a basket on our head. Help us put them on Jesus’ head. Then we won’t have headaches.

People in Haiti live in incredibly difficult circumstances. And that was true even before the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic came to their shores. And yet these simple prayers capture heartfelt cries for God’s protection.

In a time of international crisis, we who are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ want to express confidence in our God.

One psalm that expresses confidence in God is Psalm 46. Commentator H. C. Leupold puts it this way, “Few psalms breathe the spirit of sturdy confidence in the Lord in the midst of very real dangers as strongly as does this one.”

Please follow along as I read Psalm 46:1-11:

To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A Song.

1 God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,

though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy habitation of the Most High.

5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;

God will help her when morning dawns.

6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;

he utters his voice, the earth melts.

7 The Lord of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,

how he has brought desolations on the earth.

9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;

he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

he burns the chariots with fire.

10 “Be still, and know that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!”

11 The Lord of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah (Psalm 46:1-11)

Introduction

It is helpful to know something about the titles of some of the psalms. In modern Bibles such as the English Standard Version, editors have a brief heading for each psalm. In my copy of the ESV it is written in italics, and reads as follows for Psalm 46: God Is Our Fortress. That heading is not inspired. It is a modern editor’s insertion designed to help readers get a quick description of the psalm.

Many of the psalms have a title in addition to the modern editor’s heading. In my copy of the ESV the title is written in all capital letters. So, for example, in Psalm 46 we have: TO THE CHOIRMASTER. OF THE SONS OF KORAH. ACCORDING TO ALAMOTH. A SONG. This title is inspired. It was written by the author of the psalm, and is part of the inspired word of God.

So, with that in mind, let me make a few comments about the inspired title. Psalm 46 was addressed “to the choirmaster.” That is something like a “dedication” that one sees at the front of a book or perhaps a musical score. The work is dedicated, for instance, “To my wife” or “To my children,” or so on. Here, Psalm 46 is dedicated “To the choirmaster.”

Next, Psalm 46 says that the psalm is “Of the Sons of Korah.” This is a reference to the authors of the psalm. The Sons of Korah were descendants of Korah, who was himself a descendant of Levi. So, the Sons of Korah were responsible for ministry in the tabernacle and they were an important company of singers (cf. 1 Chronicles 6:33; 2 Chronicles 20:19).

Then the title of Psalm 46 says, “According to Alamoth.” The word “Alamoth” is related to the word for “maidens.” So, it may mean that this was a female choir, or a band of maidens playing tambourines (cf. Psalm 68:25), or a musical term written for soprano singers.

Finally, the title in Psalm 46 says “A Song.” As you know, the Psalter is both a prayer book and a song book. You can pray the psalms and sing the psalms. This psalm was first written as a song.