God Is Our Refuge

When Hurricane Katrina came through Meridian, it was still a Category 1 storm. I was called in at the Fire Dept. for extra manpower, paired up with one of my crew, and we worked right through the storm.

The wind was howling. Trees were snapping. Power was knocked out across the city. While most people were hunkered down, we were out there checking on people and clearing roadways.

And I’ll never forget how fragile it all felt. Everything we thought was steady—roads, homes, power—suddenly felt vulnerable. It was loud. It was dark. And it was dangerous.

In moments like that, you realize just how small we really are in the face of nature’s power.

And yet, in the middle of that storm, there was this unshakable truth: God was still God.

That’s what Psalm 46 is all about. It’s not a psalm about life being calm and easy—it’s a psalm about finding safety when everything around you is falling apart.

Scripture Reading – Psalm 46 (read aloud here)

Point 1: God is a Very Present Help (vv. 1–3)

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea.”

Notice what the psalmist doesn’t say. He doesn’t say if trouble comes. He says when. Trouble is not optional in this life. The storm is coming.

It may not be a hurricane. It may be a diagnosis. A broken relationship. A financial hit. But one way or another, the storm will come.

But here’s the promise: God is not absent. God is not distant. God is not just watching from the sidelines. God is present—a very present help in trouble.

That means He is with you, not just waiting on the other side to greet you when it’s over. No—He’s with you in it.

When the storm is raging—when the winds are howling outside your window or chaos is raging inside your soul—you don’t have to hold it all together. All you have to do is cry out, and God is right there.

He is your refuge. He is your shelter. He is your safe place when everything else is shaking.

Point 2: The River That Sustains (vv. 4–7)

“There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.”

Now watch the contrast. While the oceans are roaring and raging, there’s a calm river flowing through God’s city. A river of peace. A river of life.

When nations rage and kingdoms fall…when the world feels unstable…God provides a source that never runs dry.

The question is: Where are you drinking from?

• Are you drinking from the chaos of the news cycle?

• Are you drinking from the opinions of social media?

• Are you drinking from the approval of people?

Or are you drinking from the steady stream of God’s Word and God’s Spirit?

If you want peace in the storm, you’ve got to sit by the river.

The storm may rage, but the river still flows.

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Point 3: Be Still and Know (vv. 8–11)

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

This is the heartbeat of Psalm 46.

“Be still”—that literally means: let go, cease striving, loosen your grip. Stop trying to control everything.

“And know that I am God”—recognize that He’s sovereign, He’s ruling, He’s in control.

So in essence, God is saying: “Let go. Stop fighting for control. Trust that I am God, and know that I’ve got this.”

Some of us are worn out—not just from the storm, but from all the striving we’ve been doing in the middle of it.

Faith is not pretending you’re strong. Faith is resting in God’s strength when you’re weak.

Being still doesn’t mean giving up—it means saying, “God, I can’t. But You can.”

Closing Challenge / Altar Call

When Katrina came through Meridian, I remember the noise, the darkness, the uncertainty. But I also knew the storm wouldn’t last forever.

Maybe today, you’re in a different kind of storm... The diagnosis, The heartache, The financial pressure, The loneliness or The anxiety. And you’re asking: “Will this ever end?”

Psalm 46 reminds us: You have a refuge. You have a strength. You have a God who says: “Be still, and know that I am God.”

The storm will pass. His presence will remain. His purpose will stand.

So the question is: Will you trust Him today? Will you let Him be your refuge, your strength, your safe place?

Invitation Prayer

“Father, we come before You in the middle of the storms of life. Some of us are hurting. Some of us are afraid. Some of us are exhausted from trying to hold it all together. But today, we choose to be still and know that You are God. Be our refuge. Be our strength. Carry us through the storm. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”