Ps 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Ps 46:2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Ps 46:3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
Ps 46:4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.
Ps 46:5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
Ps 46:6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
Ps 46:7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
Ps 46:8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.
Ps 46:9 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.
Ps 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
Cheong One Writer says, “How can we be secure living in an unsafe world?
The psalmist tells us through his own experience: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” That’s where we can find true security and peace.”
David wrote this 46th Psalm at a time of the Assryrian invasion of Judah, so it gave the people of Israel needed assurance of God’s deliverance.
1. Something to Know (God is) vs 1
2. Something to Believe (The Lord of Hosts Is with us) vs 7
3. Something to See (Come Behold the Works of the Lord) vs 8
4. Something to Witness (The Exaltation of God) vs. 10
1. Something to Know (God is) vs 1
a. Ps 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
a. Vs. 3 Ps 46:3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
b. Christian Cheong - We are to look to the Creator, not the creation, to love the Giver, and not the gifts. This world has little to offer us. He says the earth can give way, the mountains can fall into the sea, and the waters can roar and foam, and the mountains quake
c. Kirk Devine - I’ve had some troubled times in this life… I’ve had some times where it seemed like I wasn’t going to make it… Some times when I didn’t know whether I was coming or going… Some times when I didn’t know which way was up…! But I’m glad that I had a refuge… I’m glad that I had a place of shelter… He’s not only our refuge… But Psalms 91 tells us that…
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide… Under the shadow of the Almighty… For He is my refuge… And my fortress… In Him will I trust…” we have a secret place…! We have a shelter…! And when things get bad, we can run to the secret place…!” (“Who Can I Run To?”) I can run to God… Because God is…!
Arthur C. Clarke - For every man, education should be a process which continues all his life. We have to abandon, as swiftly as possible, the idea that schooling is something restricted to youth. How can it be, in a world where half the things a man knows at 20 are no longer true at 40--and half the things he knows at 40 hadn’t been discovered when he was 20?
This one thing I know - Ps 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Knowing God is, we can then believe he is with us
2. Something to Believe (The Lord of Hosts Is with us) vs 7
d. GBN - we are assured that God can and will defend his Church from all dangers and enemies.
e. ACC - The God of Jacob The God who appeared to Jacob in his distress, and saved him out of all his troubles.
C.S. Lewis - You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death. It is easy to say you believe a rope to be strong as long as you are merely using it to cord a box. But suppose you had to hang by that rope over a [cliff]. Wouldn’t you then first discover how much you really trusted it?
Scripture states Ps 46:7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
Ps 9:9 The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. We can know that the God of Jacob is with us as we go through trials of our lives. We have SOMETHING TO BELIEVE. If someone asks you what do you believe? You can say….God is with me.
When we realize the Lord is really with us we can say…..its something to see
3. Something to See (Come Behold the Works of the Lord) vs 8
Have you ever tried to tell someone something you saw which almost seemed unbelievable? You can describe it in detail, tell them all you saw, but you can’t make them understand it, because they did not see it.
A couple years ago I was riding with a friend in West Palm Beach Florida. I – 95 being a very busy road it seems like a racetrack. I saw a wreck in action, to describe it just doesn’t work. You had to be there to understand. We were headed South and a big custom van headed north was clipped in front by a passing car. The van did a lazy spin, ran over a guard rail all while still staying upright. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it.
f. Ps 46:8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.
TOD - Come, behold the works of the Lord. The joyful citizens of Jerusalem are invited to go forth and view the remains of their enemies, that they may mark the prowess of Jehovah and the spoil which his right hand hath won for his people.
The people saw what destruction took place to those who did not follow God.
Michigan State was playing UCLA in football, the score was tied at 14 with only seconds to play. Duffy Daugherty, Michigan State’s coach, sent in placekicker Dave Kaiser who booted a field goal that won the game. When the kicker returned to the bench, Daugherty said, "nice going, but you didn’t watch the ball after you kicked it." "That’s right, Coach," Kaiser replied. "I was watching the referee instead to see how he’d signal it. I forgot my contact lenses, and I couldn’t see the goal posts."
Seeing God work first hand is Something to behold. You can tell others about a service and how God moved, but unless you see it first hand it doesn’t have the same effect.
Ps 46:8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.
Ps 46:9 He maketh wars to cease…..Kingdoms rise and fall under Gods command.
Seeing the results of Gods work is only better when you experience it first hand.
4. Something to Witness (The Exaltation of God) vs. 10
g. Ps 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
The early church leader Augustine was once accosted by a heathen who showed him his idol and said, "Here is my god; where is thine?" Augustine replied, "I cannot show you my God; not because there is no God to show but because you have no eyes to see Him."
When Martin Luther was surrounded by enemies he read this Psalm & then wrote the great hymn, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." He saw the tremendous power of God as "a bulwark never failing." Regardless of what happens in the world there is still the strength & power & might of God.
Melvin Newland - THREE GREAT TRUTHS WE CAN DRAW FROM THIS PSALM:
1. God is always near & available to us. God never puts us on hold. God is always available & anxious to hear us whenever we want to speak to Him. Some of our problems may be superficial, but others are deep, & God can help us.
2. God’s power is greater than anything in all this world. Greater than winds or storms, or earthquakes, or volcanoes. There is no greater power. God’s power is sufficient to win the victory over all the enemies that come our way. The Psalmist tells us again that "God is our refuge, our strength in times of trouble." So don’t be afraid to ask for His help.
3. God’s help works even when we can’t help ourselves. God’s help is available, & all you have to do is reach out for it, & grab hold.
1. Something to Know (God is)
2. Something to See (Come Behold the Works of the Lord) vs 8
3. Something to Witness (The Exaltation of God)
4. Something to Believe (The Lord of Hosts Is with us)
God is all powerful and as Ps 46:10 reads Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen
