In light of international events, we’re calling an audible today. Instead of continuing in our On Mission series, I’m going to take us back to a passage I preached online and for Cozi TV right after Covid first hit our country and our community. We’ll return to Acts 24 next weekend.
Preaching involves at least two responsibilities. The first is to explain the Bible and relate it to life. The second is to take life and explain it in light of Scripture. Today, I’m hoping to accomplish both purposes.
Please turn to Psalm 46. This song, written by the sons of Korah, is set in the context of catastrophic chaos, troublesome times, and unparalleled uncertainty. The writer’s world was crumbling all around him. Some commentators believe the setting of the Psalm comes from the time King Hezekiah was surrounded by the army of Sennacherib, King of Assyria. Forty-six towns and villages in Judah had been overthrown, and at least 185,000 troops encircled Jerusalem (sounds like world headlines this week, doesn’t it?).
This Psalm was written with the nation of Israel in mind, but it certainly applies to us today.
Before we get into the text of the Psalm, I want us to see the word “Selah” after verse 3, verse 7, and verse 11. This word is used 74 times in the Old Testament: 71 times in Psalms and three times in Habakkuk.
Most versions of the Bible do not attempt to translate “Selah” but simply transliterate the word straight from the Hebrew. We know from the title of this Psalm, “To the choirmaster…a song,” that it was designed to be sung. It is likely it refers to a musical rest, in which singers stopped singing to take a breath so only the musical instruments could be heard. According to one Bible dictionary, it can also signify a musical crescendo followed by silent reflection.
The Septuagint, which is the earliest Greek translation of the Old Testament, translates “Selah” as “intermission.” The New Living Translation picks up on this by using the word, “interlude.” The idea is to get us to take a breath in order to reflect and remember. I like how the Amplified Version renders it: “Pause and calmly think about that.”
In addition, “Selah” is thought to be rendered from two Hebrew words translated as: “to praise” and “to lift up.” Perhaps the singers paused to think about what they had just sung in praise to God. It’s in the imperative, meaning this is something we’re commanded to do. This seems to be how the word is used in Habakkuk 3 where we’re urged to consider the weightiness of what we’ve just read or heard.
The best way to think of “Selah” is a combination of all these meanings. We could say it like this: No matter what happens, we can rest in God’s promise, presence, and power. Because the word “Selah” appears three times in this passage, we’ll follow this natural outline by reflecting, remembering, and resting each time we come across it.
Listen now to God’s holy, inspired, inerrant and authoritative Word.
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, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
No matter what happens, we can rest in God’s promise, presence, and power.
1. His Promise – He is for you as your refuge!
Let’s look at the first three verses: “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, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah.” This name for God is “Elohim” which reminds us He is Creator, King, Judge and Savior.
Amid whatever mess we find ourselves in, God promises to be our refuge, our strength, and our help. God is not pointing to a refuge outside Himself – He Himself is our refuge. God is our refuge even when what seemed steady is now unstable. The word “refuge” (or “fortress”) is used three times in the Psalm as a place of trust. It literally means “to flee,” as in running to an impenetrable shelter. God promises to hide and help us. Let’s cry out in prayer like we hear in Psalm 142:5: “I cry to you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.’”
God promises to hide us in His shelter, and He can help us by His strength. He is also “a very present help in trouble.” The word “very” means He helps “abundantly and greatly” right now, in our present situation. This is literally translated like this: “A help He has been found exceedingly.” Aren’t you glad we serve a God who comes to our assistance when we are afflicted? He is always available and always accessible as Psalm 9:9 says, “The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.”
The word “strength” implies we can rely on His might when we feel weak and defenseless. The phrase “a very present help” means God is quick to give assistance right now, at this exact time, because He is abundantly available in tight spaces. Right now, He is everything we need, and He will be everything we need in the future. Because He has “proved” Himself to be such a help in the past, we can trust Him in the present and in the future.
I like the insight of Corrie ten Boom: “Look within and be depressed. Look without and be distressed. Look to Christ and be at rest.”
In verse 2, the writer imagined the worst calamity which could possibly hit as he described earthquakes, volcanoes erupting, and mountains slipping into the sea. It’s a picture of the unmaking of the world. In Genesis 1, God divides the land from the sea and here we see the land thrown back into the sea. Even though the “earth gives way,” or the landscape suddenly changes, we don’t have to be afraid. Mountains provided refuge in times of war and were the most secure part of nature. They were the most fixed and firm things on earth.
Verse 3 describes the roaring waters of the sea, which is a picture of our lives when we’re out of control. “Roaring,” means to “be in great commotion, to rage, or to be at war.” Every continent is in commotion about what Russia’s next move is. On top of that, we wonder what China has up its sleeve. When the “mountains tremble at its swelling” refers to the pride or haughtiness of the mountains. Our sense of pride and invulnerability as a people has been replaced with quaking and concern.
The psalmist is saying when our security is suddenly gone, we’re to seek refuge in God Himself. Our sense of helplessness and fear should drive us to Him. I’m praying this will bring us to our knees in humility as 2 Chronicles 7:14 so beautifully puts it: “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
? The first “Selah” is found at the end of verse 3. Let’s reflect, remember, and rest in God’s promises right now. Even when the whole world is turned upside down, you can run to Him for refuge. Do that right now.
No matter what happens, we can rest in God’s promise, presence, and power.
2. His Presence – He is with you as your resource!
Look now at verses 4-7: “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; He utters his voice, the earth melts. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah.”
God promises us shelter when we seek Him. Fortunately, we don’t have to run far to find Him because His presence is right here with us. Verse 4 paints a picture which is easy for us to miss. The city of God is Jerusalem. While it was a very beautiful city, it didn’t have a river running through it like other major cities and countries of that day had. Babylon was built on the Euphrates. Egypt had the Nile. Rome had the Tiber. The Quad Cities has the Mississippi (and the Rock)! Jerusalem did not have a physical river, but it had something even better – the flowing presence of God.
The title “Most High” is Elyon, which refers to God as the highest of all. He is sovereign and supreme, and He is present with us. God’s grace flows like a river to bring gladness and joy to His people. While the ocean rages and foams, God’s presence is depicted as a calm and gently flowing stream. God’s favor is often denoted as a river like we see in Psalm 36:8: “They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.” This image in Scripture represents happiness, abundance, and peace, even when everything else is falling apart.
God’s presence with His people is one of the central truths of Scripture. Verse 5 says “God is in the midst of her” and verse 7 declares the “Lord of Hosts is with us.” This is from the root word “Immanuel,” which means “God with us” and was used in Matthew 1:23 to refer to Jesus. This means when we put our faith in Jesus, we have “God with us” at all times.
Notice the last part of verse 5: “God will help her when morning dawns.” No matter how bad things get, God’s presence means He will help us. When we wake up to start a new day, we will experience what Jeremiah did in Lamentations 3:22-23: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
God is present with His people even when “the nations rage, the kingdoms totter” according to verse 6. “Rage” is the same word used in verse 3 to describe the roar of the waters. When the nations are agitated like the waves of the sea, God is still with His people. No matter how bad things get, we can always count on His comforting presence.
Verse 7 says “The Lord of Hosts is with us…” Here we’re introduced to another name for God – Jehovah Sabaoth, which means, “Lord of the Angel Armies.” The Lord Almighty has all the hosts of heaven ready to do His work.
Psalm 24:10 asks the question: “Who is He, this King of glory? The LORD of Hosts [Jehovah Sabaoth] — He is the King of glory. Selah.” God is the king and commander over every army, both spiritual and earthly, and He mobilizes them to accomplish His purposes. It was the promise of His presence which gave peace to Moses according to Exodus 33:14: “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
I love how this verse ends: “…the God of Jacob is our fortress.” As in verse 1, God is depicted not only as powerful, but also as an impenetrable fortress we can run to for safety. By the way, this is the text that moved Martin Luther to write, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God, a bulwark never failing. Our helper He, amid the flood, of mortal ills prevailing.”
And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God has willed
his truth to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo! his doom is sure;
one little word shall fell him.
Don’t miss He is the God of “Jacob.” Jacob was known as a deceiver with a twisted mind and heart. A lot of us are just like Jacob, aren’t we? Even though Jacob had a lot of faults, God stuck with him, shaping, and molding him into a man of faith, changing his name to “Israel,” which means, “prince of God.” Aren’t you glad God takes selfish sinners like us and changes us from the inside out? I love the lyrics we just sang, “Though our sins are many, His mercy is more.”
? Let’s reflect, remember, and rest at this second “Selah” by thanking God for His presence with us.
No matter what happens, we can rest in God’s promise, presence, and power.
3. His Power – He is above you as your ruler!
We see the heart of God in verses 8-11: “Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. ‘Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!’ The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah.”
According to verse 8 we’re given an invitation to “come, behold the works of the Lord.” We’re to “run or pursue” in order to “behold.” The word “behold” has several nuances. It means, “to perceive through sight, to peer, to spy out, to gaze intently upon, to observe fully” and expresses strong feelings of surprise, hope, expectation, and certainty. To “behold” has the idea of vividness and emotional involvement and is used in the imperative, meaning it’s a command. It is variously translated as “Lo! Behold! Look! Note!”
Some time ago, I heard this phrase: “We become what we behold.” Here’s what I wrote down: Tell me what you’re beholding, and I’ll tell you what you’re becoming. This verse tells us we’re to behold the “works of the Lord.” In this case, the work of the Lord included “desolations” which means, “ruin, astonishment, wasting, dismay and horror.”
Another work of the Lord is mentioned in verse 9 and shows us in His position as the Almighty God, He makes “wars cease to the ends of the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear, He burns the chariots with fire.” At that time, the Assyrian empire was the mightiest on the globe. Like Russia today, it had already overrun many of the smaller kingdoms and had hoped to conquer the entire world. But God had other plans. A broken bow is of no value and a shattered spear is no longer effective. Chariots which are on fire cannot function.
It's easy for us to feel helpless and even hopeless but in His position as sovereign king, God is in charge!
Listen. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has defeated our depravity, the devil, and death itself. He has broken our bondage, so we don’t have to be burned by the fires of Hell!
Most of this psalm is written in the third person as the psalmist speaks about God. In verse 10, the Lord speaks in the first person from His position as sovereign ruler and says, “Be still and know that I am God.” To “be still” means to “cast down or let fall.” It referred to the dropping of weapons. We’re to cease fighting a battle we can’t win. It means not exerting yourself.
The picture is of opening our clenched fists and letting our hands fall to our sides, as we leave our worries with God. We’re not to just have a “moment of silence” or even to just be quiet. We’re to cease and desist, to surrender and let go. Psalm 37:7 captures it well: “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; fret not yourself…”
The purpose of being still is so we can know God. To “know” means to “acknowledge and comprehend, to discover intimately.” It’s not enough just to know about Him; we’re called to know Him relationally. But we can’t know God experientially until we become still before Him. This is a rebuke. We’re to cease striving and fretting and working in our own self-effort and fully submit ourselves to God. Check out Zechariah 2:13: “Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for he has roused Himself from His holy dwelling.”
Notice the last part of verse 10: “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” As we quiet our souls and reflect upon His position of power as Lord over the whole world, we will recognize His supremacy and inevitable triumph over the nations. Until we’re still and surrendered before Him, the reality of His coming exaltation among all the nations will not impact us.
Brothers and sisters, no matter what happens, remember this: God will be exalted among the nations, and He will be exalted in the earth! He is working out all things for His glory and for our ultimate good. As we learned last weekend, we can trust His providence even when we can’t feel His presence.
Verse 11 is a great summary statement of this entire psalm as it repeats verse 7. Because “the Lord of hosts is with us, and the God of Jacob is our fortress,” we can trust in His person and in His plan.
Jesus Christ is God and Lord of history. Nothing has happened outside of His plan. Nothing ever leaves Him bewildered or astonished. He never says, “oh, oh.” Nothing ever catches Him by surprise. Through incredible upheaval, though the mountains fall into the sea, those who know Jesus Christ have nothing to fear. When the nations rage against one another, God is our refuge.
? Let’s pause here at the final “Selah” and praise God for His power. It’s time to cease striving and surrender before Him. Affirm the central truth of Scripture that He is supremely powerful and will be exalted among the nations.
No matter what happens, we can rest in God’s promise, presence, and power.
Action Steps
1. Get right with God. What’s happening in the world is bad, but Hell is far worse. If you don’t know Jesus Christ through the new birth, you are in deep trouble.
James 4:14 asks the question, “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” Proverbs 27:1 reminds us to “not boast about tomorrow because we don’t know what a day will bring forth.”
Life is way too unpredictable and too brief to live it without God at the center. We count our lives in years, but God tells us in Psalm 90:12 to number our days. The truth of the matter is everyone is one heartbeat away from eternity. A car accident, a viral infection, a terrorist attack, or a long-range missile, could snuff out your life in an instant. In 1 Samuel 20:3, David said, “Yet as surely as the Lord lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.”
Interestingly, in Luke 13:5, when Jesus gave His commentary on why a tower fell in the first century and killed 18 construction workers, He didn’t give a theological treatise on the problem of evil. Instead, He personalized the tragedy and said, “Unless you repent, you too will perish.” We’re all going to die, one way or another, therefore we must get ready. If you have never surrendered your life to Jesus in repentance and asked Him to save you, you need to do so right now, before it’s too late!
2. Get ready for the return of Jesus. All of this serves as a reminder this world will not last forever. Jesus is coming back, and we better be ready. Luke 21:10-11 gives us a taste of what it will be like in the last days: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences.”
Prophecy is being fulfilled before our eyes and the return of Christ is closer today than it was yesterday. Many believe Ezekiel 38 refers to Russia (Magog) as the nation to the north and Ukraine as Gomer. We won’t go any further today, but I do want to ask this question: Are you ready to meet Christ, or will you be left behind?
At the very minimum, the news headlines should remind us of an even greater event of even more sudden destruction which awaits mankind. Listen to 2 Peter 3:10: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.” 1 John 2:28 is a warning written to believers: “And now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears we may have confidence and not shrink from Him in shame at His coming.”
3. Tell others about Jesus. Brothers and sisters, a crisis always creates opportunity. When Jesus described the signs of the end of the age, He told His followers in Luke 21:13: “This will be your opportunity to bear witness.” There is unprecedented openness to spiritual matters right now. People are unsettled and nervous. Talk to your friends and family members about a relationship with Jesus. Don’t hold back. Let’s be bold and point people to Christ.
4. Be the church. It’s time for the church to be the church, and for that to happen, we need as many as possible to gather for worship, recognizing some are not ready to do that right now. Acts 2:42-43, 47: “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul… praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” Let’s stop playing games. Let’s bind together and pray as if everything depends on God, because it does! Let’s deal decisively with sin in our lives and practice grace and forgiveness with others.
The Gospel Coalition asked Vasyl Ostryi—a pastor near Kyiv and a professor of Kyiv Theological Seminary—to reflect on how the church in Ukraine is shepherding people.
“If the church is not relevant at a time of crisis, then it is not relevant in a time of peace,” he explains. Their church building has become a shelter:
During this critical moment, our church, which has about 1,000 people attending on a normal Sunday, is also a place of service. We’ve recently conducted several trainings on performing first aid. People are learning how to apply a tourniquet, stop bleeding, apply bandages, and manage airways. These lay people aren’t going to become doctors, but this has given them confidence to care for their neighbors if necessary.”
Ostryi, a Ukrainian national, decided to stay with his family, with his church, instead of leaving Ukraine before the invasion. “When this is over,” he reflects, “the citizens of Kyiv will remember how Christians have responded in their time of need.”
This week I came across a video showing a Ukrainian family singing the song, “He Will Hold Me Fast.” Let’s watch 30 seconds of it now. I love how they are leaning on the Lord during these difficult days.
When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, there was a feeling of exhilaration among our enemies. But one man knew better. Japanese Admiral Yamamoto knew that rather than victory, Japan had instead sowed the seeds for its final defeat. In his famous quote he said, “We have awakened a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve.”
While these events may indeed awaken our world, my prayer is that the sleeping giant called the church will wake up and resolve to show and share the gospel of Jesus Christ like we have never done before.
No matter what happens, we can rest in God’s promise, presence, and power.
Let's pray for Ukraine right now...
Lord Almighty, as we watch war march forward in the Ukraine, we rest in Your reign and rule over the world as we read in Isaiah 40:22: “God is enthroned above the circle of the earth; its inhabitants are like grasshoppers.”
We pray for You to bring Your peace and protection to the people of Ukraine according to Isaiah 26:3: “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” May those who don’t know the peace of Christ be drawn to the Prince of Peace right now.
Use pastors, missionaries, and followers of Jesus to spread the good news of salvation by faith alone in Christ alone for Your glory alone. Help them to be unafraid and unashamed of the gospel. Give them supernatural courage and boldness to proclaim the life-changing message of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We pray for Awana Clubs in Ukraine as they reach over 25,000 children with the gospel through 548 Awana clubs. May they continue to reach out to kids with the love of Jesus. Also, we pray for the Celebrate Recovery ministries in Ukraine, for Word of Life Bible Institute, and for the Ukraine Bible Society.
Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He will.” Please turn the heart of the Russian leaders away from war and toward peace and give our president and leaders of other countries wisdom and courage to do the right thing.
God, You say in Psalm 46 that while the nations rage and the kingdoms totter, all You need to do is utter Your voice and the earth would melt. We thank You that You make wars cease to the end of the earth, You break the bow, You shatter the spear, and You burn the chariots with fire. We pray You would make this war to cease.
In the meantime, we choose to be still and know that You are God because You will be exalted among the nations, You will be exalted in the earth. Work Your way and Your will for Your glory. Enable us to trust Your providence even when we don’t feel Your presence.
Oh, God, use this situation to awaken the American church from our spiritual slumber. Use this time of uncertainty and persecution to stoke the fires of repentance and revival among Your people. Indeed, as Psalm 85:6 says, “revive us again that we may rejoice in you.”
We pray for You to do more than all we can ask or imagine according to Your power at work within us. To You alone be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen
Closing Song: “Lord of Hosts: Psalm 46”
