When I looked at the readings for this Sunday, especially Psalm 46, I said to myself, it ties in so well with what is happening to us today. As a Country, we are in two wars with prospects of one or two more; we’ve had the worst natural disasters – Katrina, mudslides, flooding in Tennessee, Oil spill and of course the recession and spiraling unemployment; Some States are bankfupt and so are many small towns – the list goes on. This morning I am not going to get into any of these except of how it effects you personally and the providence of God in all of this.
I believe that we are living in a very momentous time in history. We are also living at a very uncertain time and by that I mean there is a general sense of instability and insecurity that we all face in this life. Many of us are living from paycheck to paycheck praying that we will be able to pay each month’s bills. Many people do not have medical insurance or perhaps not enough and hoping they do not get sick. Others are living without the security of a loving home and the list goes on. Our Government has let us down badly too. We can’t trust them anymore but in the midst of all of these uncertainties, the good news is that we will not be here forever. The earth is not our final destination and God is still on the throne.
This morning I want to use our reading from Psalm 46 and do a short meditation on learning to trust God in difficult times. The Psalm encourages to put our hope and trust in God; To trust in his power, providence, and gracious presence in the worst of times. God is just not our help in ages past but He is also our hope for years to come. He is our refuge and strength and a very present help in times of trouble. There is a beautiful old Baptist hymn entitled “The Solid Rock” in which the chorus goes like this On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand…”. Everything that we have learned to trust in is falling apart like sinking sand. Two days ago I heard on TV and that over 40% of Americans have dug into their retirement plans or 401K’s.
There is a story about a woman who returned home from a shopping spree. Her husband met her at the door and said “What did you buy? With the prices as high as they are, I bet you spent a fortune. I hate to think what has happened to our nest egg”. “I will tell you what happened to our nest egg” his wife said defensively as she began to put her packages on the dining table “The old hen got tired of sitting on it”.
Friend, I don’t know if you have a nest egg or not, but even if you do with the mess we are in, it wouldn’t last too long. Verse 2 of Psalm talks about the earth being moved and though the mountains be toppled into the depths of the sea, The Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge. He is our rock and I hope you are standing on Him because all else is sinking sand. One Preacher put it this way. He said, “Soon the things of this world will pass away and the only things that will last forever are the things of Christ”.
There is a beautiful book entitled “The Wounded Heart of God” written by Andrew Park in which he suggests that God is intricately involved with human suffering and tragedy. When trouble comes to us we are quick to question God’s role and his ability to protect the faithful but not everyone understands that it is only because of God’s impartial love for the righteous as well as the sinner that we suffer equally. If one group had to suffer and not the other, then we would be worshipping an unjust God. Sickness, death and brokenness of whatever form they may come are a product of sin and evil and we have chosen that path through Adam and Eve. May be you are saying, I wish Adam and Eve did not do such and such, but what about you and me my friends? We are no better and therefore while we receive what is called “the wages of sin” we should rejoice and be thankful because we have a God who is still standing beside us. He is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Andrew Park suggests that God is not a spectator of suffering but that he actually partakes in suffering with us. When your heart is broken so is His. When you are sorrowful so is He. When someone offends you, he is offended too. When you are hungry and sick, he suffers with you. Jesus ended his earthly life by carrying a cross which clearly represents his willing participation in our suffering.
Perhaps you have had more than your fair share of grief and trouble and my heart goes out to you. I wish I could share some of your load. But keep the faith and keep pressing on and be comforted because through Christ’s resurrection and triumph over evil, a day is coming when he will wipe away every tear and the faithful with reign with him forever more. I hope and pray you are a part of that faithful generation whose hope is in the God of Jacob who is our stronghold and very present help in trouble.
Trials and tribulations are difficult to endure but they have salvific purposes. By this I mean, it leads us to God. So, there is goodness in suffering that steers us into making soul-caring choices that are anchored in the vastness of God’s limitless love that will provide strength, direction and comfort to every aspect of our lives. Our souls are constantly under siege by our culture and circumstances that surround us. They need to be restored and nurtured. But sadly, most of us take better care of our cars than our souls! Perhaps you are saying “well, what do you want us to do?”. To answer that, I have to take you back to Psalm 46 – see vs.11; it says “Be still then and know that I am God”. There isn’t much you and I can do about the economy, the unemployment, the Government, or all the stuff that we are bombarded with every day. This is besides the earthquakes, famines and potential for a nuclear explosion. What we can do is to trust in our God who is our refuge and strength and then be still. Even if the world ends, we need not fear. You will see victory with God at your side. Wars and destruction are invincible but so is God’s final victory.
Friends, If God be for us, who can be against us? Though the earth be moved and though the mountains be toppled into the depths of the sea and though its waters rage and foam and though the mountains tremble, the Lord of hosts is with us and the God of Jacob is our refuge.
In the name of the F,S & HS. Amen.
