Reasons to Fear Not Psalm 46
GOD IS OUR REFUGE and strength
Note
(1) The Refuge - "God is our refuge."
We are Confronted by the:-
(a) Necessity of the Refuge - Jeremiah 12 v. 5 "If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?" - "How wilt thou do?"
(b) Nature of the Refuge - "God is our refuge"
It's a:-
(1) Personal Refuge - (based on a person) God
i.e. his peace, his presence, and his power
(2) Powerful Refuge - God - refuge and strength -
2 Corinthians 12 v. 9 "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
(3) Practical Refuge - "A very present help in trouble"
Isaiah 12 v. 2 "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation."
(4) Purposeful Refuge - v. 2 "Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;"
earth be removed (change hands) Assyrians assault on Jerusalem in Hezekiah's time - Job - "Though he slay me yet will I trust him"
Why? because of the:-
Sufficiency of our Refuge
Stability of our Refuge
Supremacy of our Refuge - Exodus 15 v. 11 "Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?"
(c) Notability of the Refuge - "God is" How comforting is:-
His Power, His Presence ("best of all God is with us"), His Peace -
Mark 4 v. 37 "And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full." "A great storm of wind." v. 39 "And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm." His Protection - Psalm 23 v. 4 "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."
GOD IS OUR RIVER
(2) The River - v. 4 "There is a river" 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.
Hezekiah diverted the spring of the river Gihon in the Kidron Valley through solid rock into a pool in the city.
Note the river of God's grace is:-
(a) Full - v. 4 "The streams whereof."
(b) Free - Isaiah 55 v. 1 & 2 "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness."
(c) Flowing perpetually -
Note:-
(1) God the Father -is the fountain of living water -
Jeremiah 2 v. 13 "For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water."
(2) God the Son - well of living water -
John 4 v. 13 & 14 "Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."
(3) God the Holy Spirit - river of living water -
John 7 v. 37 & 38 "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."
(d) Fulfilling - v. 4 "The streams whereof shall make glad the city of God."
Isaiah 44 v. 3 & 4 "For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses."
GOD IS OUR RULER
(3) The Ruler - v. 5 "God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved."
v. 7 "The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge."
Note three-fold call -
The call to:-
(a) Bless His Word - v. 6
"The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted."
(b) Behold His Works - v. 8 & 9 "Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. 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."
(c) Believe His Will - v. 10 & 11
"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge." i.e.
Believe in:-
(1) The Person of God - " "Be still, and know that I am God" - Is God real? -
(2) The Plan of God - v. 10 "I will be exalted in the earth." i.e. God is in control
(3) The Presence of God - v. 11 "The Lord of hosts is with us."
What a Person - "Lord of hosts" - Joshua 5 v. 13 - 15
"And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant? And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so."
What a Power - "of hosts"
What a Presence - "is with us"
What a Promise - "The God of Jacob is our refuge." i.e.
if he kept Jacob he can keep you.
