Where To Go When The Lights Go Out
“WHERE TO GO WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT”
Psalm 46:1-11
David Riley
FBC New Church
February 12, 2006
Psalm 46:1-11
46:1 For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah, set to Alamoth.
A Song.
God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;
3 Though its waters roar and foam, Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Selah.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered; He raised His voice, the earth melted.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has wrought desolations in the earth.
9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire.
10 "Cease striving 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 stronghold. Selah.
NASB
INTRODUCTION
Please turn to Psalm 46, then note the page number. Turn to a blank page in the front or back of your Bible and write this phrase, “For the worse day of my life turn to page # 802’
On thing I like to do is discover the historical event which leads to the writing of the Psalms. For Psalm 46 we find the historical background in Isaiah 36-37.
It was the year 701 B.C. The Assyrian monolith was plowing its way toward the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
It was tearing up, and killing, and raping as it went. When they came to that little Northern Kingdom that stood in its way between them and Egypt, the prophet Micah came to King Hezekiah, and he helped Hezekiah get his priorities right in this crisis in the nation of Israel. As the crisis got closer and closer to them and the Assyrians took the city of Lachish and pillaged it, they sent a message to Jerusalem and said, "You're next on the list. We're getting you next."
This was a time of disaster, but Hezekiah took the message, and laid it before the Lord and he prayed. He prayed! And God said "They'll not take you. You are going to see My hand at work." Then Sennacherib and his mighty army came and besieged Jerusalem and shouted out their taunts at God's people. But they just waited on God, and God sent one angel! One angel! Before the next day, 185,000 Assyrian soldiers lay dead around Jerusalem. Those who were left, turned and headed home.
Out of this experience, Psalm 46 was written. The psalmist tells us what to do when the lights have gone out – that happens to us. It seems like the stars have fallen from the sky. The lights of your life have gone out and you don’t know what to do. This Psalm tells us what to do when the lights go out.
Notice the word – Selah – It occurs three times in this Psalm – Verse 3, 7, and 11. Most Hebrew scholars believe this indicates a musical interlude for reflection. One commentator says it is something like. “There, what do you think of that?”
Therefore, around these the occurrences of the word “Selah” we find God’s direction about what we are to do when the lights go out. When the lights go out in your life:
I. GO TO YOUR SHELTER – Psalm 46:1-3
Psalm 46:1
1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
NASB
God is our refuge – our shelter -- a fortress.
Peterson in the Message says, “God is a safe place to hide.”
God is our refuge, God is our shelter, God is our strength.
The Bible teaches us we have someone we can turn to—
Someone in whom we can rest.
Someone in whom we can find safety in times of
danger and disaster in our life.
Martin Luther was studying some sermon notes. He was grieving and depressed. His wife came out dressed in mourning clothes. Luther asked, “Who died?” His wife answered, “God died.” Luther replied, “God can’t die, He is eternal and immutable!” His wife’s sharp reply was, “Then why are you acting like God is dead?”
Have you found that God is a shelter? The Psalmist said,
Psalm 61:2b
2b Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
NASB
Psalm 46:1b
46:1b A very present help in trouble.
NASB
That Rock is an immediately at hand to help – a soon found help in a time of trouble – a tested help in trouble.
“Trouble” means distressed or in a tight place. Have you ever been in a tight place?
Illustration of a tight place.
God promises that He is our present help in a time of distress. So you see when things are tight – when things are pressing upon us – when the lights go out – our God is a very present help. You see God is a present tense God; He is not a God who can handle all these wonderful things in the past, but can’t do anything now. Not talking about a God who is going to do all these wonderful things in the future, but can’t do anything now.
I’m talking about a God who can walk on the sea in your life this very day. He can help you and give you strength, and He can give you victory, and He can give you relief.
Sometimes you call on people to help and they say call me later. I’ve got good news, when you call on Him – the line is never busy! When you call on God, He never puts you off, and says, “Check with Me later.”
God is always present in times of trouble. And because of that he says in verse 2,
Psalm 46:2a
2a Therefore we will not fear,
NASB
Over and over in the Bible, God says, “Fear not!”
John 14:27b
27b Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.
NASB
He says we are not to be fearful.
Four times in the next 2 verses He uses the word “though.”
though the earth should change,
And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;
Though its waters roar and foam,
Though the mountains quake at its swelling pride.
In other words when the whole world seems to be in an upheaval – the Living Bible says, “even if the world blows up.”
So when it looks like your world is going to pieces, your world is blowing up – God says you are not to fear.
Let’s just drop your situation in the middle of these four though’s:
Loose your job we will not fear
Child going bad we will not fear
Financial crisis or reversal we will not fear
Marriage breaking up we will not fear
Lonely we will not fear
Be in weakness we will not fear
WHY???? We have a shelter!!!! We have someone to whom we can turn to in times of devastation.
Then God says, Selah – There, what do you think of that?
So when the lights go out in your life, GO TO YOUR SHELTER!
I. GO TO YOUR SHELTER – Psalm 46:1-3
II. GO TO YOUR RIVER – Psalm 46:4-7
Did you know you had a river?
Psalm 46:4
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, The holy dwelling places of the Most High.
NASB
God’s children have a river! A city under siege in ancient warfare must have a water supply. If the enemy could get to the water supply of the city, and cut it off then it could paralyze the city. You cannot live with out water.
ILLUS of water during Hurricane Isabelle.
Hezekiah was very wise. He realized that if the enemy surrounded the city of Jerusalem and cut off the water supply they could easily capture the city.
So here’s what Hezekiah did. Right outside the walls of the city of Jerusalem was the spring of Gihon. Jerusalem did not have a river like many of the great cities of the ancient world.
But Jerusalem depended on the spring of Gihon for its water.
Hezekiah knew that the Assyrians could easily cut off the water supply, and they would be in trouble. Here’s what he did. He diverted the normal flow of the spring of Gihon, and he built an underground conduit out of the rock – over 17,000 feet of under ground conduit – a secret stream. The enemy never knew it was there. The Assyrians never realized that the river was there. All the time Jerusalem was under siege, it was fed by an underground stream. I can see the Assyrians outside surrounding the city, scratching their heads and wondering how they got their water. Didn’t realize they had those hidden springs. Jerusalem had hidden resources.
Now you see that is what God is saying to you are me. When the lights go out in our life we can go to our river. We have a river and it is flowing on the inside.
The Bible tells us that our God is a God of living water:
God the Father:
Jeremiah 2:13
13 "For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns, That can hold no water.
NASB
God the Son
John 4:14
14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life. "
NASB
God the Holy Spirit
John 7:38
38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.'"
NASB
God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit is a river of living water and He is flowing on the inside of the child of God.
You see, friend, when you have trouble, you are having a hard time, you have a source, a supply that you might not be drawing on adequately. You have a source of refreshment that you might not be claiming in your life.
Now most people depend on outer resources, they depend on that which comes from the outside to satisfy or supply. Some depend on money, coming from the outside; they depend on prestige, amusements or activity – But you see all of those things can be cut off – All of those things can be lost in your life.
Let me ask you a question – “If you lost all your money would there still be a river flowing on the inside?” All your popularity? All your prestige? All your outer activity?
Let me tell you what, folks, Jesus is our secret source -- Jesus is our sufficient supply.
That is the difference it means when you know the Lord. Being a Christian doesn’t mean that you will not have hard times – Knowing Christ doesn’t mean you are not going to have the same difficulties that other people have.
People in churches I have pastored ---
It is not that being saved means that you don’t have these problems – What is it that helps these people who know Jesus make it? What is it that keeps them strong, keeps them refreshed? Keeps them going?
Psalm 46:4a
4a There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
NASB
It is wonderful to have the river of the Lord flowing in your life. Isn’t it glorious that you have something to depend upon. You have a source to draw from in the time of need.
In the future: Ezekiel 47 – We read about a great river that flows from the throne of God – a great river that flows in to the Dead Sea, Go fishing!!!
In heaven: Revelation 22:21,
Revelation 22:1
22:1 And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb,
NASB
A pure crystal river of life!
But I tell you what, friends, until the day that we can drink from the river at the throne of God, we can draw upon the resources that we find in us by the presence of Jesus in our life. We can sing “I’ve got peace like a river ‘love’ ‘joy’ in my soul.”
So you see when the lights go out in your life you can go to your river.
Look at verse 5:
Psalm 46:5a
5a God is in the midst of her.
NASB
Isn’t that interesting, God is in the midst of her. God is right there, God is present. I have been reading about the Life of the Lord Jesus recently, noticed how many times He is in the midst.
12 year old boy -- Luke 2:46
46 And it came about that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them, and asking them questions.
NASB
After the resurrection -- Luke 24:36
36 And while they were telling these things, He Himself stood in their midst.
NASB
The Book of Revelation -- Revelation 1:13
13 and in the middle of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His breast with a golden girdle.
NASB
Know what that means? He is right in the middle of FBC of New Church. Now that is exciting – that’s why I don’t like to miss church – Don’t know what God is going to do.
All this is saying, God is saying, “Hold on child of God in the morning I am going to solve this problem.” Sometimes it seems very dark, but keep in mind there is a morning coming.
Hymn: Trials dark on every hand……
Bye and Bye when morning comes.
Bible says:
Psalm 30:5b
5b Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.
NASB
You see, friends, there is going to be a better day out there, a new day out there.
So you see we are drinking from the river, we have the presence of God in our life, so when the lights go out in your life, go to your river!
Psalm 46:7
7 The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.
NASB
There, what do you think about that?
What do you do when the lights go out in your life:
I. GO TO YOUR SHELTER – Psalm 46:1-3
II. GO TO YOUR RIVER – Psalm 46:4-7
III. GO TO YOUR MASTER – Psalm 46:8-11
Psalm 46:8
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has wrought desolations in the earth.
NASB
God had sent his Prophet Isaiah – to say, “don’t give in, trust the Lord.” So one morning God said to the people “look at that.” So they went to the walls of the city and they looked out there and without their knowledge that night God had sent His angel and 185,000 Assyrians had been slain. As they looked out they saw an army in ruin.
God Himself had stepped on the field of battle. God had intervened in the situation. And they saw what the Psalmist describes in verse 9:
Psalm 46:9
9 He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire.
NASB
God had won the battle; their Master had prevailed.
One of these days God is going to put down every army. One of these days, at Armageddon, all the armies of this earth are going to be gathered against the Lord and His Christ. And God is going to shatter the armies of the earth.
I want to tell you, friend, the armies of Satan are trying to overcome you today, but one of these days you are going to look out and see that God has won the victory, And He is going to do it in such a way that everybody can see it. Everybody will it has taken place.
Illustration – Soviet Union = conquer the world. Niketa K.
Shoe at UN, we will bury you! Wall down!!
That is what God is going to do in your life. God says, “LOOK!”
Look at verses 10 & 11.
Psalm 46:10-11
10 "Cease striving 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 stronghold. Selah.
NASB
Cease striving[Be still] = relax!
Peters in The Message – “Step out of the traffic!”
Sometimes what we need to do is just step back and linger a little while over the works of the Lord. Just step back and take a long loving look at what God has done. See what the Lord has done! [Illustrate]
Cease striving[Be still] and know that I am God.
The disciple were in the boat crossing the Sea of Galilee, a storm came up. They got excited, in fact the Lord had a harder time calming the disciples than He did the Sea. The Lord said to the waves, “Peace, be still!”
God can calm the angry waves in your life. God is with us – Look at what He says,
Psalm 46:10b-11
10 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 stronghold.
NASB
John Wesley – Founder of Methodism – At his time of death, summoned all his strength, He waved his hand in the air and he shouted, “The best of all, God is with us.”
I want to tell you, friends, God is with us. When you are lingering over that kitchen sink tomorrow, and you mingle your tears with the water – God is with you!
When you go to school tomorrow, and you find a tough time – God is with you.
When you go to the job situation tomorrow, and it is a crisis, God is with you!
So when the lights are going out in your life – you have a Master who has promised He will never leave you nor forsake you.
Psalm 46:11
11 The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold.
NASB
Us ---- Our , Personal pronouns –
You see this Psalm is applicable to you only when it is personal to you. Only when you can say the Lord is MY shelter, the river is MY river, the master is MY master. He is MY Savior!
Do you know this Jesus today? Have you come to Christ and accepted Him as your personal Savior today?
Well, if you have never done that I am going to invite you to do that today, in this service, I am going to invite you to come to Jesus!
Maybe you are here and you say I have never accepted the Lord as my Savior – I am going to ask you to do it today – God has already been working in your heart, folks have been praying for you, someone has already been talking to you about the Lord. I am going to ask you to come this morning and receive Jesus Christ as your Savior.
Heads Bowed
I am going to pray a prayer out loud, if you have never accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, pray it after me in your heart.
Lord Jesus, I need You. [That’s right pray it in your heart] Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I turn from that sin and open the door of my heart and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal live. Make me the kind of person You want me to be. Amen
Those of you who prayed the prayer, as soon as the music starts, I want you to come down front and take my hand and tell me that you received Christ today.
Christians, the Lord could be showing you that you had your eyes on all the circumstances in your life and like the disciples in the boat, you have become paralyzed by fear.
It could be that the Lord is saying to you, today you need to recommit to the covenant you made with Him. And a fresh begin to realize that He is your shelter, your river and your master, especially as the lights begin to go out in your life.
Selah, There, what do you think of that?
“WHERE TO GO WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT”
Psalm 46:1-11
David Riley
FBC New Church
February 12, 2006
I. GO TO YOUR SHELTER – Psalm 46:1-3
II. GO TO YOUR RIVER – Psalm 46:4-7
III. GO TO YOUR MASTER – Psalm 46:8-11
