Psa 46
Psa 46:1 For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth. A song. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Psa 46:2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
Psa 46:3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah
Psa 46:4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.
Psa 46:5 God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.
Psa 46:6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
Psa 46:7 The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Psa 46:8 Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolations he has brought on the earth.
Psa 46:9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire.
Psa 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
Psa 46:11 The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Electioneering: who do you trust to run our country? Who did you trust?
Cheer, Cheer the Red and the White
Honour the name by day and by night
Lift that noble banner high
Shake down the thunder from the sky
Whether the odds be great or small
Swans will go in and win over all
While her loyal sons are marching
Onwards to victory
More seriously:
AMICUS CERTUS IN RE INCERTA
What’s going to happen in Zimbabwe? Where should we encourage the people of that troubled nation to put their trust?
What’s going to happen with the effects of climate change? As we hear the flood of news about the effects, will we just throw our hands up in despair and say : not my problem! I’ll be long gone before I have to worry about that! And anyway, who can possibly do anything about it?
And the petrol prices? And all the for sale notices on houses? IS there a real recession coming? What can I possibly do to stop that?
Every Australian acknowledges the awful life many indigenous people live in this country – can we possibly win the battle against disease, poverty, alcoholism, abuse?
We’ve been hearing the words of some of the Psalms over the last 3 weeks.
I’ve been suggesting to you that this is a greta part of God’s word because here we read the words of people struggling with the issues of life.
But they are more. They are the words of God.
And so they are in fact a kind of austorised way for God’s people to speak to him and to one another in all the circumstances of life.
Especially when the going is tough.
But they form a way of thinking and reacting to life which is thoroughly God’s way.
They are the words of people which are the word of God for people to speak to God. – about anything.
Psalm 46
The first thing you notice – perhaps the greatest thing is that this is a very robust psalm.
Full of confidence!
Full of courage!
It’s a man’s song! – you can imagine a welsh football crowd singing it at the top of their voices.
Although : “alamoth”!!!
3 sections – and three interwoven ideas: summarised in v. 1
READ
1. God!
Later . . . v 7, v 11
GOD – and not anything else
GOD – who is with us – ever-present help
Therefore:
No fear
Worst to happen!
Refuge AND strength
2. God our refuge
Vv 4-7
From power over the chaos of the natural world gone amok – to the quiet calm of an ordered society in a well-planned city
a haven of peace
3. God our strength!
Look what God has done –
Think about it!
His works : the LORD
Rules over wars!
STILL!
I WILL BE EXALTED!
HE will be exalted among the nations and the earth
HE will be exalted!
Christ and his exaltation! Phil 2:
Yet : I will be/am with you!
Luther’s hymn:
