Psalm 46

Intro:

I stood on the field, ready to engage my adversary. The wind rustled around, cooling my overheated body in the sweltering South Carolina summer. As we heard the enemy approaching, their projectiles began to land all around us. There was nothing to do but retreat and guard our objective with all our might. The air was deadly, filled with the sting of incoming enemy fire. We needed a place to escape the onslaught of darts aimed directly at us. Fortunately, an abandoned building near the objective provided the cover we needed. It protected us from attacks from above while giving us a clear view of the point we were defending.

That building became our refuge. This was where we would hide and regain our composure for the defense. As I saw the hands of my brethren in the air, signifying their demise, I regained my composure, took a deep breath, loaded my weapon, and started defending as the last man standing. My refuge held strong as paintballs burst upon its side. I was unharmed, returning fire, and settled in for a long afternoon.

While this dramatic story of a weekend at a youth retreat in the summer of 2019 may seem farfetched, that shed felt like a mighty fortress to me, where the paintballs of my enemies could never penetrate.

In the Psalm we are going to study this morning, we are reminded that God is our refuge. While my story pales in comparison to scripture, perhaps this hymn will resonate with you:

"A mighty fortress is our God,

A bulwark never failing;

Our helper He, amid the flood

Of mortal ills prevailing.

For still our ancient foe

Doth seek to work us woe;

His craft and power are great,

And, armed with cruel hate,

On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide,

Our striving would be losing;

Were not the right Man on our side,

The Man of God's own choosing.

Dost ask who that may be?

Christ Jesus, it is He;

Lord Sabaoth, His Name,

From age to age the same,

And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled,

Should threaten to undo us,

We will not fear, for God hath 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.

That word above all earthly powers,

No thanks to them, abideth;

The Spirit and the gifts are ours

Through Him who with us sideth.

Let goods and kindred go,

This mortal life also;

The body they may kill:

God's truth abideth still,

His kingdom is forever."

This hymn speaks of a fortress that gives us hope amid the onslaughts of the devil. Martin Luther, the German reformer, wrote it. In the midst of the Reformation and the persecution from the Catholic Church, his desire was to create a hymn based on the Psalm we are studying today. Luther understood, as we will see today, that even if the earth is destroyed, the nations fall, and God's judgment comes upon this earth, Christians need not fear because God is our refuge and strength, ever-present in our troubles.

1. God is our refuge as creation falls

Refuge: God is the unchanging one in whom we find shelter

Strength God is the one who empowers the weak fo action

2 Corinthians 12:9–10 “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Exalting Jesus in Psalms 1–50 A Mighty Fortress (Psalm 46)

But, in God’s glorious providence, he has taken one of our primary challenges—fear—and used it to continually drive us to himself, where we find him sufficient to meet every challenge and every fear we face.

The power of God as he undos the things that seem immutable and impregnable to us.

God is our refuge as nations fall

Exalting Jesus in Psalms 1–50 His Presence Makes Us Glad (Psalm 46:4–6)

When it feels as if the world is falling apart around us, we must know that God is there, and his presence gives us joy in the midst of the chaos. We must go to the river and drink from the satisfying reality of his presence

God is our refuge as He establishes peace

Be Still, Stop and quit rebelling for I am God.