Troubled Waters

Rev. Joseph M. Comage

Word of Life Ministry

22 October 2006

Bethel AME Zion Church

SONG: We’ve Come This Far By Faith

TROUBLED WATERS

Psalms 46:1-11

1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.

5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.

6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; he uttered His voice, the earth melted.

7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, who has made desolations in the earth.

9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; he burns the chariot in the fire.

10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

(NKJ)

I want to speak to some people who know what its like to stand in troubled waters.

Some people that know what its like to have your mountain shake.

I want to speak to some people that know, sometimes in this life we will face trials and tribulations and everyday want be all candy and a piece of cake.

God does not always prevent tragedies and troubles from coming our way.

If you don’t believe me just ask brother Job.

Some believe this Psalm to have been written on the return from the Babylonian captivity, when the people once more got peaceably settled in Jerusalem.

Others believe that it was after a great earthquake that killed a great many people.

I cannot say for sure if either is correct but I can say with great assurance that it was written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

No matter what the writer had gone through or was going through, he knew that God was his refuge and his very present help in the time of trouble.

Maybe it was written for you to help bring you through some tough time in your life. Maybe you need a hiding place, a refuge from the tolls and troubles of life.

A refuge is a place where one is guarded from attack or injury. It is also a condition of safety or security.

We need a place of refuge for are physical body but we need refuge for our mind and our spirit. Satan will attack your body but most of time he will do his damage to your mind and spirit.

He will make you feel that every one around you is your enemy and that your situation is worse than anyone else’s situation. He will try to keep you from seeing any good in life and try to take away your reasons for living.

One young lady told her father that no matter what she did everything seemed to turn out wrong. She said she felt like giving up. (Has anybody here ever been there)?

Her father was a quite man and he was a cook by trade. He listened to her and after she paused for a moment he asked her to follow him into the kitchen. He put three pots of water on the stove to boil. In the first pot he put a carrot. In the second pot he put an egg and in the third pot he put some coffee beans. He let them boil while his daughter waited impatiently. After they had finished boiling he took the carrot out and said see the carrot went in strong and hard and unrelenting but after being in the boiling water it became soft and weak. (Talk tough but really weak.) Next he took the egg out and said this was fragile when it went in but after going through the boiling water it looks the same but it is hard on the inside. (They look just like the other church folk but have become hard on the inside.) Next he asked her to taste the coffee. She said it had a strong taste. He said they all went into the same situation. The carrot became soft and the egg became hard on the inside but after the coffee went through the boiling water it became stronger and richer. Then he asked her; what are you a carrot, an egg, or coffee.