What causes you stress / anxiety? Spiders? Snakes? Earthquakes? Work? School / Homework / Tests? Darkness? Lightning? Typhoons? Threat of war? Driving in Taipei? Relationship/family problems? Illness? Public speaking? Moving? Finances / Money? Concerns about the future?
All of us have times of anxiety & stress. That is just part of life. The question is how we choose to respond to these times of anxiety and stress.
A very frequent command or teaching in the Bible is to not worry... have no fear… don’t be anxious. Some people have said there are so many verses in the Bible on this topic…that you could read a different verse every day of the year. I can’t verify if that is true or not, but I do know that God repeats this message to us over and over again throughout the Bible.
God knows we are human and frail… Our natural tendency is to see things with our eyes and not with the eyes of faith… So God continues to remind us… Do not fear… Do not worry… Do not be anxious.
Proverbs 12:25…
25 Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.
This is a weight we were never designed to carry. It not only drains your emotional energy, but it can make you sick and cause health problems. Some fear is natural and keeps us safe… Like the fear of snakes… or fear of heights, for example. But when we hold onto stress / anxiety / fear… when our thoughts are consumed by worry… This is not how God desires us to live. So today, we’re going to see how to face life with God’s help.
But before we get too much farther, I want to give you a disclaimer… The Bible has much to say about how we should handle anxiety and stress… But there are some people that need professional help. God has given us His word to guide us and help us… But He has also given us doctors and medicine to help make life better as well. There are many people who struggle with anxiety or depression due to chemical imbalances and need medication. There are others who are dealing with traumatic experiences and need professional counseling (and sometimes medication) to help them process and learn how to cope with what has happened.
Also, anxiety / fear / worry / stress can be caused by spiritual influences. If you are a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, then what we will cover in today’s message will help you. But if you have never placed your faith in Jesus and surrendered your life to Him… then you are on your own when these spiritual forces come against you. Give yourself to Jesus… He is the only One who can bring you peace and love and joy… He is the only One who can carry your load of worry and stress and anxiety and fear.
The Bible tells us in Romans chapter 10 that all you need to do is believe that Jesus is the Son of the one true living God… That Jesus took your punishment and paid the price for all the bad things you have ever done… The price was death… Jesus died to set you free from sin and darkness… Then He rose from the dead on the third day and promises to also give you eternal life… Just put your faith in Jesus and confess Him as Lord, and you will be saved. If you have never done that before, will you do it right now? Will you believe in Jesus and ask Him to forgive you of the bad you have done and to give you a new start… a new life?
Let’s turn in our Bibles to Psalm 46, which will be our main scripture today. [READ Psalm 46]
Verse 1 sets the tone or the theme for the rest of this Psalm.
Listen to the first verse again, "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." The Hebrew word "trouble" that he used means "pressed in." There is a saying that when we are under pressure… when we are being squeezed… then what’s inside of us is what comes out. The psalmist says that God is our “refuge”… our place of safety… of security… our mighty fortress. Regardless of what happens in the world there is still the strength & power & might of God on our side.
There are 3 sections to this Psalm, each ending with the word, "Selah” (which is most likely some kind of musical notation). We’ll see that we can be at peace because
1. God Helps Us in Times of Trouble
2. God Helps Us in Times of Conflict
3. God is God… In Whom Else Can We Trust?
I. GOD HELPS US IN TIMES OF TROUBLE
So let’s look at the first section… God Helps Us in Times of Trouble.
Verses 1-3 deal with natural disasters… These verses seem to be describing natural events like earthquakes, landslides, typhoons, tsunamis, and volcanoes erupting. These are just examples of large-scale natural disasters. The writer could have also included floods, tornados, blizzards, wildfires, and on and on…
I don’t know about you, but whenever I feel the earth moving… and when I see the things in our apartment moving… and when I hear this low rumbling sound… my heart starts beating faster… that adrenaline kicks in and you wait to find out if the shaking stops or if it gets more intense… Yet, the Psalmist says, "We will not fear!” God is our refuge & strength.
When we first arrived in Southeast Asia, we arrived just days before a category 4 typhoon made landfall. We were up in the apartment listening to the wind screaming and watching the water forcing its way through the windows and any little crack by the force of the wind. We were kind of nervous. Yet, the Psalmist says, "We will not fear!" God is our refuge & strength.
The last couple of weeks, there has been major blizzards, storms, tornados, and flooding in parts of the United States where our family and many of our good friends live. Are we concerned for their welfare? Of course we are! Yet, the Psalmist says, "We will not fear!” God is our refuge & strength.
Several years ago, we were having just a quiet evening at home. The TV was off... the radio was off. I think we had even just sent the children off to bed. But God somehow made us aware that something wasn’t right… probably from the dogs who were acting scared. There was a storm that night and it seemed to be getting bad. We turned on the TV to see news reports of a tornado heading straight toward our neighborhood. We got the kids downstairs and into a small room under the stairs. Within minutes, we heard what sounded like the roaring of a freight train, and we felt a draft of cold air as the tornado passed overhead and sucked all the air out of the room. We were scared and crying out to God… We were spared with just minor damage to our house, but the city sustained a lot of damage, including the loss of 2 lives. Yet even in the middle of the storm… and in the aftermath… the Psalmist says, “We will not fear!” God is our refuge and strength.
These are all things that are beyond our control. But my Lord and my God is still in command of the winds & the waves & the sea, & all of the elements of nature. Therefore I will not fear. God is my refuge & my strength. I can confidently place my trust in God... He helps us in times of trouble.
II. GOD HELPS US IN TIMES OF CONFLICT
Now look at vs’s 4-7. [READ]… God Helps Us in Times of Conflict…
This second section speaks of violent conflicts taking place in the world… v6 “the nations raged, the kingdoms were moved.” Here he pictures nations in an uproar, kingdoms falling, of great changes taking place. It sounds like today, doesn’t it? The Psalmist says that even though nations are falling apart… and even though society is deteriorating… God is with His people… God is our refuge.
Mankind seems to be falling apart. But we, as Christians, don’t have to be falling apart.
We can stand confidently and without fear because God is our refuge & our strength, & because Jesus is King of Kings & Lord of Lords. He is the same yesterday, today, & forever.
III. GOD IS GOD… IN WHOM ELSE CAN WE TRUST?
The third section (verses 8-11), brings us to the ultimate and the only conclusion… God is God… In Whom Else Can We Trust?
In verse 8, the Psalmist refers back to the times of trouble mentioned in the first section… the times of natural disaster that display the immense power that Almighty God has over His creation… “Behold the works of the Lord, who has made desolations in the earth.” Look at what God can do! Do you have power over these forces of nature like our God does?
In verse 9, he then refers to the times of conflict in the second section of this Psalm… Even when the nations rage, God makes them cease. God will bring all wars / all conflicts to an end very soon. For a time, God is allowing wars and conflict to continue raging on the earth… This is all happening according to prophecy… But the time is coming soon when God will bring all these conflicts to an end, and bring all of humanity before Himself for final judgment.
The conclusion of the matter is this… “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
There is only one true living God… and He is the creator of heaven and earth… there is no other god.
He has power to control all of His creation… He controls the weather… He controls the earth… He controls the sun, the moon, the planets, the stars, the galaxies, the whole universe.
He has power and authority over all people, all nations, all governments… The day is coming soon when the kingdom of God will be the only kingdom… He will tear down all other kingdoms and establish His eternal kingdom… and HE will be exalted among all the nations… and HE will be exalted in all the earth!
And He is OUR God! He is with us! He is our refuge! We find safety, shelter, security in Him!
So…… “be still”…… May your heart be at peace... because the One who controls all of creation… and who controls the nations… is with us! He is our refuge!
Philippians 4:6-7…
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Psalm 55:22…
22 Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.
1 Peter 5:7…
7 Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
Hebrews 13:6…
6 So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
Isaiah 41:10…
10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
God is good…
His acts of giving are good…
The gifts that He gives are perfect…
and He works all things together for good to those who love Him and are the called according to His purpose…
We can safely place our complete trust in this good and merciful God! We can trust Him with our lives, with our families, with our jobs, with our finances, with our ministry, with any concerns or cares of this world… We know we can face the stress and anxiety and worry of this world with God’s help… We can place all of that in His hands… We don’t have to carry it around with us.
We can be still… and know that He is God… and that He is with us.
Let’s PRAY…
