Finding Refuge in the Midst of Crisis
Notes
Transcript
Announcements:
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Thank all veterans for their service (Veterans Day is tomorrow)
3. Next week we will be back here for service.
4. Please continue to pray for everything to go smoothly with transitioning to the building in Warne.
5. Please continue to pray as we start fundraising going forward (rent for a year, utilities, equipment, etc)
6. Hayesville Parade is on Dec 14th. Please let Pastor Charity after service if you are interested in participating.
Worship:
Blessed Be Your Name
2. Who You Say I Am
3. No Longer Slaves
4. Amazing Grace My Chains are Gone
Introduction:
We have all dealt with problems, crises, unexpected difficult situations and circumstances. Maybe some of us this morning are like, “Um yeah that’s me right now!” Some of us may have just gotten through one and then others of us may be getting ready to go through a rough patch and don’t know it yet!
(Not on slide)
33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”
Whichever group you find yourself in this morning, I would like to talk about the importance of finding a refuge in the midst of chaos/crisis. A lot of times, we tend to look to and run to the wrong refuge: relationships, drugs, alcohol, work, social media, friends, etc. (Go ahead and fill in the blank!)
But those never work out and always tend to make things worse (sometimes right away and other times over a period of time). And before we know it, we are right back to where we began or worse.
As we turn to Psalm 46 this morning, I want to mention a few interesting tidbits:
-Most people recognize this Psalm as the basis for Martin Luther’s hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.”
-Many scholars believe Psalm 46-48 may have been written and commissioned by Hezekiah. Why?
-The historical background is probably God’s deliverance of Jerusalem from the Assyrians in the time of King Hezekiah (2 Kings 18–19; 2 Chron. 32; Isa. 36–37). We will get back to that later.
-This is also why this psalm is known as a song of trust in God for comfort and strength during time of turmoil, uncertainty and disaster.
Transition: Let’s see what God’s Word has to say about finding refuge in the midst of chaos/crisis. Like we said before, we need to choose the right refuge and that is how Psalm 46 starts! The writer tells us who our refuge should be!
Body:
I. God is Our Refuge and Strength (vv 1-3)
1 God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble.
2 Therefore we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the depths of the seas,
3 though its water roars and foams and the mountains quake with its turmoil. Selah
A. refuge
1. shelter, a rock of refuge
2. in verses 7,11 refuge means a stronghold, a high tower, a fortress
3. He doesn’t protect us in order to pamper us. He shelters us so He can strengthen us to go back to life with its duties and dangers.
35 God, you are awe-inspiring in your sanctuaries. The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God!
7 I am like a miraculous sign to many, and you are my strong refuge.
31 but those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.
B. strength - God as the source of inner power and resilience
God gives us the power we need to endure hardship as we serve Him, fight spiritual battles, resist temptation, and bear up under persecution. We are weak, but He is strong.
(Not on slide)
10 So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
C. ever-present help
1. in the now
2. in the present
3. always
4. when trouble strikes
5. He can’t help us if we don’t trust Him
58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.
C. trouble
1. describes people in tight places, in a corner and unable to get out
D. Therefore we will not be afraid! Why?
God is our refuge
God is our strength
God is always with us especially in midst of our trouble
Application:
- In personal crises (illness, financial trouble, relational difficulties, etc.), we can trust in God to be our refuge, strength and help!
- Even when the earth "gives way" (metaphor for the most extreme chaos imaginable), God remains unshaken.
Illustration: The miracle that taught a soldier (Spencer January) the power of prayer
It was a morning in early March 1945, a clear and sunny day. I was 24 years old and a member of the U.S. Army’s 35th Infantry Division, 137th Infantry, Company I. Along with several other companies of American troops, we were making our way through dense woods in the German Rhineland. Our objective was to reach and take the town of Ossenburg, where a factory was producing products that were being used in the war.
For hours we had pressed through an unrelenting thicket. Shortly after midday, word was passed that there was a clearing ahead. At last, we thought, the going would be easier. But then we approached a large stone house, behind which huddled a handful of wounded, bleeding soldiers—who had tried to cross the clearing and failed.
Before us stretched at least 200 yards of open ground, bordered on the far side by more thick woods. As the first of us appeared on the edge of the clearing there was an angry rat-tat-tat, and a ferocious volley of bullets sent soil spinning as far as we could see. Three nests of German machine guns, spaced 50 yards apart and protected by the crest of a small hill to the left, were firing at the field. As we got our bearings it was determined that the machine guns were so well placed that our weapons couldn’t reach them.
To cross that field meant suicide. Yet we had no choice. The Germans had blockaded every other route into the town. In order to move on and secure a victory, we had to move forward.
I slumped against a tree, appalled at the grim situation. I thought of home, of my wife and my 5-month-old son. I had kissed him good-bye just after he was born. I thought I might never see my family again, and the possibility was overwhelming.
I dropped to my knees. “God,” I pleaded desperately, “You’ve got to do something… Please do something.”
Moments later the order was given to advance. Grasping my M-1 rifle, I got to my feet and started forward. After reaching the edge of the clearing I took a deep breath. But just before I stepped out from cover, I glanced to the left.
I stopped and stared in amazement. A white cloud—a long fluffy white cloud—had appeared out of nowhere. It dropped from over the trees and covered the area. The Germans’ line of fire was obscured by the thick foggy mist.
All of us bolted into the clearing and raced for our lives. The only sounds were of combat boots thudding against the soft earth as men dashed into the clearing, scrambling to reach the safety of the other side before the mist lifted. With each step the woods opposite came closer and closer. I was almost across! My pulse pounding in my ears, I lunged into the thicket and threw myself behind a tree.
I turned and watched as other soldiers following me dove frantically into the woods, some carrying and dragging the wounded. This has to be God’s doing, I thought. I’m going to see what happens now.
The instant the last man reached safety, the cloud vanished! The day was again clear and bright. “I can’t believe this.”
The enemy, apparently thinking we were still pinned down behind the stone house on the other side, must have radioed their artillery. Minutes later the building was blown to bits. But our company was safe and we quickly moved on.
We reached Ossenburg and went on to secure more areas for the Allies. But the image of that cloud was never far from my mind. I had seen the sort of smoke screens that were sometimes set off to obscure troop activity in such a situation. That cloud had been different. It had appeared out of nowhere and saved our lives.
Two weeks later, a letter arrived from my mother back in Dallas. I tore open the envelope eagerly. The letter contained words that sent a shiver down my spine. “You remember Mrs. Tankersly from our church?” my mother wrote.
Who could forget her? I smiled. Everybody called Mrs. Tankersly the prayer warrior. Frankly, I sometimes thought she carried it a bit too far.
“Well,” continued my mother, “Mrs. Tankersly telephoned me one morning from the defense plant where she works. She said the Lord had awakened her the night before at one o’clock and told her, ‘Spencer January is in serious trouble. Get up now and pray for him!'”
My mother went on to explain that Mrs. Tankersly had interceded for me in prayer until six o’clock the next morning, when she had to go to her job. “She told me the last thing she prayed before getting off her knees was this—here I paused to catch my breath—”‘Lord, whatever danger Spencer is in, just cover him with a cloud!'”
I sat there for a long time holding the letter in my trembling hands. My mind raced, quickly calculating. Yes, the hours Mrs. Tankersly was praying would have indeed corresponded to the time we were approaching the clearing. And 6:00 a.m.? With a seven-hour time difference, her prayer for a cloud would have been uttered at one o’clock—just the time Company I was getting ready to make its daring dash.
From that moment on, I intensified my prayer life. For the past 52 years I have gotten up early every morning to pray for others. I am convinced there is no substitute for the power of prayer and its ability to comfort and sustain others, even those facing the valley of the shadow of death.
https://guideposts.org/prayer/true-stories-of-answered-prayer/when-a-prayer-saved-him/
Transition: Prayer is a way we can run into God as our refuge! He gives us strength in the midst of our trouble and helps us to continue to walk through it! Not only does God give us strength, but…
II. God is our Peace (vv 4-7)
4 There is a river— its streams delight the city of God, the holy dwelling place of the Most High.
5 God is within her; she will not be toppled. God will help her when the morning dawns.
6 Nations rage, kingdoms topple; the earth melts when he lifts his voice.
7 The Lord of Armies is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah
Explanation:
- The image of a “river” symbolizes peace, life, and sustenance, contrasting the chaos of verses 1-3.
- The “city of God” represents the people of God, the community where God dwells.
- God’s presence is the reason for the security of His people: "God is within her; she will not be toppled.”"
Application:
- We are citizens of the "city of God" today, living in His presence.
- God’s presence in our lives brings peace, joy, and stability.
- No matter what happens externally, God’s presence keeps us secure and unmovable.
Illustration:
23 As he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.
24 Suddenly, a violent storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves—but Jesus kept sleeping.
25 So the disciples came and woke him up, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to die!”
26 He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
27 The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him!”
No matter what is happening around you, remember you have the Creator of Heaven and Earth in your boat! He has everything under control!
3 You will keep the mind that is dependent on you in perfect peace, for it is trusting in you.
Transition: Not only is prayer is a way we can run into God as our refuge. But, we also can have peace because the Creator of Heaven and Earth is in our boat! Lastly,
III. Be Still and Know That He is God (vv 8-11)
8 Come, see the works of the Lord, who brings devastation on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease throughout the earth. He shatters bows and cuts spears to pieces; he sets wagons ablaze.
10 “Stop fighting, and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.”
11 The Lord of Armies is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah
In other translations, verse 10 reads as God saying: ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’"
Explanation:
- "Be still" – A command to stop striving, worrying, and fearing; recognize God’s sovereignty. It literally means to take your hand off! relax! in Hebrew means “to release” or “let go” to drop it
- God’s ultimate plan is to be exalted among all nations, despite the tumult and conflict in the world.
- The Lord Almighty is with us – This is a repeated assurance (v. 7, 11) that God is in control and present.
Application:
- In the midst of fear, anxiety, or uncertainty, God calls us to stop and rest in His power and sovereignty.
- Trusting God means surrendering control and believing He has a plan that will lead to His glory and our good.
Hezekiah helps us see what this looks like in 2 Kings 18-19.
18:3-4 He did what was right in the Lord’s sight just as David did
18:5-6 He relied on the Lord and remained faithful to the Lord
18:7 He rebelled against the king of Assyria and didn’t serve him
18:9-11 He saw Israel get captured by the Assyrians and the Israelites were deported from Israel
18:14-16 Hezekiah got scared and didn’t put his trust in the Lord and tried to apologize to the king of Assyria and pay him off with the gold and silver from the Lord’s temple
18:19-37 The king of Assyria’s royal spokesman called out Hezekiah and asked him who he was relying on? And talks about all the other nations they have conquered whose gods didn’t save them.
19:1, 14-19 Hezekiah went to the Lord after trying to fix this himself
19:2-7, 20-36 The Lord heard his prayer and destroyed 185,000 Assyrians
Hezekiah started off well by being obedient to the Lord and then he put his trust in someone other than the Lord and took matters into his own hands which made things worse.
Once he went back to the refuge he had in the Lord, he let God fight the battle and Judah was protected and saved.
Conclusion:
Summarize: Psalm 46 offers a powerful reminder that no matter what turmoil or crisis we face, God is with us as our refuge, strength, and ever-present help.
God is our refuge and strength
God is our peace
Be Still and Know that He is God
Reflection Questions:
- Where in your life do you need to trust God more as your refuge and strength?
- How can you "be still" (let go, drop it) this week and acknowledge God is in control over your circumstances?
Prayer Circles: Pray for those going through personal or global crises, asking God to reveal His presence and peace as their refuge and strength.
