Sunday Devotional 16th of April 2023
by Bruce Billington
We are continuing to explore the knowledge of God as expressed in the Psalms. This week we will explore Psalm 46 – a Psalm of the sons of Korah.
Introduction
This amazing Psalm is often very misconstrued so just a brief comment to begin with.
The Psalm is most famous for V10 which we will cover in a later devotional, but it tells us to “be still” in many translations. As a result, it is often understood to be a Psalm about quiet and restful things.
However, this Psalm is one of the “noisiest” Psalms in the Bible. Everything is roaring, foaming, collapsing or in a state of desolation. It was written in a time of terrible turmoil in Jerusalem.
For many, this could seem a lot like our world today, but what the Psalm reveals is that it is here that the Spirit of God thrives. So let’s enter this Psalm with all of this in mind.
Psalm 46:1–3 – 1 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.
Fear of mountains crumbling into the sea as in earthquakes or floods, and catastrophic changes in the world around us, are major and often traumatic issues for many people today. But the Psalmist here tells us that we, as God’s people, need not fear. Nothing is going that God cannot overcome and nor does it threaten His ability to save, shelter or restore us.
Even in the absolute worst of times, God is our refuge. This is not just a retreat for us to use in times of darkness. He is definitely our eternal refuge but, if He so chooses, can provide strength for us to overcome any/every circumstance.
Others may boast about how they are immune to all of these events as they shelter in their impregnable castles, or in the amount of money or assets they may have, but God is a far greater refuge than all of these.
As sons and daughters of the Living God we will embrace this truth and use any such events to increase our faith and confidence in Him because it is He alone who can offer shelter for any storm. All other so-called refuges are never totally secure. They all have weaknesses which can be exploited.
Not so for us. Our God never withdraws Himself from His children. He is truly our help in times of trouble. He is more present than any friend or relative – in fact, as Charles Spurgeon says, – “more present than even the trouble itself.”
At some point in our lives, most of us will face circumstances we feel are more than we can handle. We will know the hollow, helpless feeling of being able to do nothing to change our situation. The Lord has given us Psalm 46 for these times. The Psalm assures us that God is always there, and is always ready to deliver us, using His invincible power. When it seems that our whole world is tipped upside down, we are able to maintain a peace in our hearts as we embrace this truth.
For sure, our faith may be truly tested when we are brought into such severe conflicts. But if we maintain a calm and undisturbed disposition, and are able to act with strength and courage in such situations, it reflects that we have accessed both the nurture and the power of God and are able to rest in His loving care.
This is not to say that we become immune from such circumstances, or that we make fun of them. They impact the saved and unsaved alike. But the help which God has promised to those who are in Christ, is that He will never give them over to the storms of the world. There is nothing that can separate them from His love (Romans 8:38-39).
John Calvin makes the comment that,
they who rely upon God, and put their trust in him, may truly boast, not only that they shall be undismayed, but also that they shall be preserved in security and safety amidst the ruins of a falling world.
God bless you.
Bruce Billington.