Written by Sons of Korah. Psalm 46 was the scriptural catalyst for Martin Luther’s great hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”. This psalm also launches a trilogy of psalms (i.e., 46, 47, 48); they are all songs of triumph. To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. The word alamoth meant hidden things in Greek. But in Hebrew it meant young girls or maidens. This may indicate the psalm was to sung by female voices with a higher range.
1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
8 Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth.
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.
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
SECTIONS:
- The Unstable Environment (affirmation of his stability)
- The Unstable Nations
THEME: Trusting God’s control and protection when facing threats from nature and nations and remembering who God is and that he is with us.
QUESTIONS:
- What is our only hope in times of trouble?
- What devastation on earth is described in this psalm?
- What image does the word “fortress” in verse 7 bring to mind?
- What do you think the “river” in verse 4 alludes to?
- Who can make wars cease?
- What does God want us to know in verse 10?
- Why do you think the same thing is repeated in verses 7 and 11?
This is no ordinary storm that the psalmist describes. It is an extraordinary, frightening time of trouble. He’s describing what could be the worst of times. It’s easy to picture earthquakes and tidal waves. Jesus’ words come to mind: People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.” (Luke 21:25). In Matthew 24:7, He speaks of earthquakes, as does John in Revelation 6:12. When the psalmist says the earth melts, we can picture volcanoes or even nuclear warfare erupting.
Verse 6 outlines the shaking of the political realm of this earth as well. This can be economic collapse, leadership changes, and war. It speaks of nations and “desolations in the earth”, so it has a worldwide scope. The prophet Haggai described such a time of shaking: “‘For thus says the LORD of hosts: “Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations”’(2:6–7).
The good news for Israel is found in Isaiah 54:9–10 ‘For this is like the days of Noah to Me, when I swore that the waters of Noah would not flood the earth again; so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you nor will I rebuke you. For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, but My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, and My covenant of peace will not be shaken,’ says the LORD who has compassion on you.”
Yet, who wouldn’t be afraid in such a time as this? How do we handle such fear? Is it possible to face such times without fear? I don’t believe that the storm ahead will be of the magnitude described in Psalm 46, but neither will it be an ordinary storm. It will no doubt come in stages, increasing in strength and ferocity. Whatever the magnitude, we will have never faced anything like it. Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently spoke of the coming conflict with Iran and likened our day to 1938, when the Nazi regime intensified its ugly threats. The difference, he said, is that today’s enemy will soon have nuclear capability. Can we face it without fear?
God is the Lord of the Storm. He controls what He created. Although events may look totally chaotic to us, nothing is out of God’s control. He uses the storm for His purposes. Sometimes He uses it for punishment or judgment: “You will be punished by the LORD of hosts with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with storm and tempest and the flame of devouring fire” (Isa. 29:6). This is how Psalm 46 speaks of the storm as well. But God can also calm it whenever He wishes: “Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, so that its waves are still” (Ps. 107:28–29). Remember, this is not His first storm.
Another answer to fear is having confidence in God. He is a “very present help in trouble.” The Hebrew word for “present” can mean: to be encountered, to be found sufficient, or to be enough. All of that is what God will be in the time of trouble. He will prove Himself sufficient and more than enough. We will know His presence as we have never known it before. He will be found in the darkest of times. We may not have known Him to be so present before, because we have not ever been in such a dark place before, but He will “prove” it to us.
In end-time language, the psalmist describes Jerusalem as a city under siege and surrounded. Zechariah forecasts that event: “It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (12:9). Yet, “God shall help her.” Isaiah’s words echo the same promise: “‘Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand’…Those who war against you shall be as nothing, as a nonexistent thing. For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’ (41:10, 12–14).
“God is in the midst” (v.5) God loves being in the middle of things. He appeared to Moses in the midst of the burning bush. He overthrew Pharaoh in the midst of the sea. His tabernacle was in the midst of the camp. He was the fourth man in the midst of the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Dan. 3:25). He is in the midst when two or three are gathered in His name (Matt. 18:20). After His death, when the disciples were shut up indoors because of fear, He appeared in their midst (John 20:19). John sees Him standing in the midst of the seven churches, “The LORD of hosts is with us!” God is WITH us! As believers, we can say, “God is in me. I will not be moved!” What a comfort! If we let that sink deep into our spirits, fear has to flee.
So, why all the calamity? I see a threefold purpose. First, God is judging the world. We usually think of judgment as a terrible thing, but in verse eight, we are invited to come and behold His desolations, and we are to be joyful! Psalm 96 gives us this perspective: “He shall judge the peoples righteously. Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad…. For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with His truth” (10–13). Can we imagine a world where justice reigns? How wonderful that will be! It is a good reason to be joyful, even in a time of judgment.
Second, “He makes wars cease to the end of the earth” (vs. 9). Although the earth has to go through hell first, we will see peace on earth one day.
Third, “I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth” (vs. 10). This is repeated numerous times throughout Scripture. In whatever He does, His goal is that the people He created know Him. Sometimes it is Israel that He has to discipline in order that they know Him. Other times the Lord does a good thing for His people in order to reveal Himself to them.
As God fulfills His promises to Israel, He uses those fulfillments to reveal Himself to the nations as well: “‘And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘when I am hallowed in you before their eyes.’” (Ezekiel 36:23). Whether in acts of judgment, discipline, or favor, God’s purpose is to be exalted in all the earth. We are to rejoice in the face of calamity, because we know the outcome. This should be our response in any time of trouble. God always has a purpose for the good of all involved, even if it is masked in “desolations.”
In Psalm 46, the psalmist’s first response is “Therefore we will not fear.” It sounds so simple. But we know it’s not that easy. Most of us have not been in the kind of circumstances David was in. We don’t know when he wrote this psalm, but he was speaking with the confidence of someone who had experienced God’s presence in times of trouble: in the face of a bear or lion, standing before Goliath, running for his life from Saul and even one of his sons, and facing the enemy numerous times in battle. Although we may not have been in an earthquake or a tidal wave, we can count on David’s testimony. God will be there, and He will be our refuge and strength.
After talking about desolations, wars, bows, spears, and chariots, God says, “Be still and know that I am God.” The Hebrew word for “be still” doesn’t just mean to be quiet. It means to let drop, abandon, relax, or to let go. Some translations say “cease striving.” When fearful, we are anything but relaxed; we are tense. Why? Because we are holding on to self-preservation, either for ourselves or for others. We are afraid to die, to get hurt, to lose something or someone. Ultimately, we should be willing to give up our lives if He requires it. Jesus said, “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matt. 10:39). Let go.
In God’s Word we find peace. All of us have experienced that. If we are distressed and take the time to read the Word, we find the stress level decreases almost immediately. It is the key to the “peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Phil. 4:7).
As a child who attended years of Vacation Bible School, I memorized many verses of Scripture, but not many since then. For a long time, I have wanted to regain that discipline. A few months ago, I woke up one morning and suddenly, I just knew it was time to try again. Memorizing scripture makes it come alive in a different way from just reading it. I encourage you to do that. Ask for the grace needed for this discipline. Then when tough times come, you will have the Word established in your heart. Psalm 46 is a good place to start. May the Lord prepare us for the days ahead, that we may be ready and able to meet the need of the hour.
Psalm 46 was written out of the crucible of extreme adversity from which God had provided deliverance. It tells us that when trouble strikes, God is sufficient to get us through. No problem, whether emotional, physical, or spiritual, is too big for our God. Take refuge in Him and lean on Him for strength. God doesn’t insulates us from problems. The psalm makes it clear that trouble will strike the godly. We are not immune. The abundant life is not a trouble‑free life. We need to be clear on this because many false teachers today claim that it is God’s will for every person to enjoy prosperity and perfect health. They teach that since Jesus has promised to answer the prayer of faith, all that stands between you and material prosperity and physical health is your lack of faith. Confess it as yours by faith, and it’s yours, according to this heresy.
But the Bible teaches no such thing. It teaches that God is our help in trouble, not that He will exempt us from trouble. The psalm mentions catastrophic trouble: global changes, severe earthquakes, storms, and wars. God doesn’t protect Christians from these things. When a plane goes down, God does not make sure that there are no Christians aboard. When war ravages a country, God does not preserve the believers from its effects. God does not allow cancer to strike only those who have lived a life of sin. Trouble will strike the godly as well as the ungodly. The question is, when trouble strikes, do you want to face it with God as your refuge and strength or do you want to find help elsewhere?
The psalmist pictures one of the most frightening and catastrophic natural disasters imaginable: an earthquake so severe that the mountains slip into the heart of the sea. In California, we used to joke about how, after “the Big One” hit, we would have beachfront property. But the psalmist is picturing a quake so big that the mountains get swallowed up by the sea! He is saying that in the worst disaster we can imagine, God is sufficient as our refuge and strength so that we need not be terrified.
During an earthquake a few years ago, the inhabitants of a small village were alarmed by a quake, but surprised at the calmness and joy of an old woman whom they all knew. One of them asked her, “Aren’t you afraid?” “No,” she replied, “I rejoice to know that I have a God who can shake the world.” Whatever personal catastrophe you face-a major health problem, the death of a loved one, the loss of your job, emotional problems, relational conflicts-God is bigger than your problems. He is available to help if you will take refuge in Him and trust in His strength.
“There is a river …” Jerusalem wasn’t built on a river and ancient cities needed water, especially during a siege. When Sennacherib attacked Jerusalem, he was sure that their lack of water would drive them to surrender. But unknown to Sennacherib, Jerusalem had a source of water. Wise King Hezekiah had built an underground tunnel which secretly brought water from the spring of Gihon to the pool of Siloam. That little stream supplied all of their needs during the siege. That river is a picture of the spiritual resource of the Lord: “God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved.” He is the living water. You are privileged to be able to draw upon His strength daily. The river is there, but you’ve got to drink daily or you’ll dry up spiritually.
The command to cease striving is God speaking to the nations who are fighting against His people and His purpose. “You won’t win, so quit while you can!” But we can also apply it to ourselves. When trouble hits, don’t fight against God. He is sovereign, even over your crisis. Quit struggling and trust him.
Martin Luther was inspired by this psalm to write his triumphant hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is our God.” Luther faced numerous dangers and threats on his life from the pope and his forces. He spent 11 months in hiding in Wartburg Castle. In the face of opposition, excommunication, and pressure from every side to back down, he stood firmly for the truth of salvation by grace through faith alone. When he had occasion to fear or grow discouraged, he would say to his friend and co‑worker, Philip Melanchthon, “Come Philip, let us sing the forty‑sixth Psalm,” and they would lift their voices.
In a time of trial, you turn to what you trust. An alcoholic turns to the bottle. An addict turns to drugs. A worldly person turns to the world’s wisdom. A Christian should turn to the Lord. When trouble strikes, God is sufficient to get you through.
https://sermons.faithlife.com/sermons/114814-is-god-your-refuge-psalm-46a (Steve Caswell)
One time, David returned to the town of Ziglag with his men and found it burned down and their families carried away as captives. What did he do? His men blamed him for it all. 1 Samuel 30:6 says: “Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters.” But David strengthened himself in God. When trials come do we strengthen ourselves in the Lord? Or do we try and make it on our own?
God doesn’t expect us to make it on our own. He knows that we can’t. Will you allow God to take control of the trials and conflicts in your life? Learn to respond in faith, not in fear. If calamity takes place on the earth, hasn’t God allowed it to happen? When calamity came on Job, he trusted in God’s goodness. He knew that the Lord would not let him down.
Man can plan and scheme and even bring some of his wicked works to fulfillment. But God has the final say. King Sennacherib conquered many nations before he threatened Jerusalem. When he attempted to overthrow Jerusalem, God destroyed his army. King Nebuchadnezzar boasted about his great accomplishments only to be humbled before God. He was made to live like a beast in the field until he acknowledged God’s sovereignty. Are you terrified by current world events? Don’t be! God is still sovereign. Can you recall how God has helped you in the past? Be confident that He will help you in the future. Share God’s faithfulness with others.
The Psalmist commands us to be still and recognize that the Lord is God. This was the response on Mount Carmel when God answered Elijah by fire. They said the Lord is God. We must recognize this. We should stand in awe at the greatness of him. And we should worship the Lord in light of who He is and what He has done. Our future is secure because of God’s promises to us. He will protect us. He will never leave us nor forsake us. He is our God and our refuge.
When you think the world has gone mad, reflect on God’s sovereignty. Think about the promises and prophecies in God’s Word. Behold the mighty works of the Lord. Who made the world? Who gives life to all? Who is going to have the final say and establish an eternal kingdom? We should stand in awe of our Savior and King. God uses trouble and pressure to make us lean on Him.
In my anxiety, God being a “help in trouble” meant God was going to stop my trouble. In other words, I was reading God’s promise of help to mean, “God will do specifically do what I expect in my life and situation. But that’s not what it says. It says God is a refuge, a source of strength and a helper. It does not define how he does things. I insert very specific conditions into God’s promises and then get mad when my conditions aren’t met. Maybe God is showing me I have to come to the end of myself. Maybe God is letting my own strength fail so I can see his strength show up. Maybe God’s help comes from the grace I experience in weakness. But certainly God’s promises do not come by my expectations of fulfillment. Remember that the God who makes these promises is the God of surprises. How often do we see in Scripture Jesus astonishing everyone from the religious elite, the crowds, the disciples and the Romans? God will keep his promises but how he keeps them is often quite surprising.
Faith gives us eyes to see beyond our experience, past the ever-threatening-now so that we can grab hold of a greater reality of God’s promises. To live out our faith is to live as if God’s promises are true (even if we have doubts). God is our fortress, a refuge, a very present help. This help is sometimes an insight, a disclosure of truth.
The saints in Zion are a strange breed. They can and do know joy amid even the worst catastrophe. This isn’t because they are insensitive to pain. They are made of the same stuff as the rest of humanity, but their ability to remain calm and focused flows from their unbreakable relationship with God. God’s presence keeps them safe, come what may. Whatever happens, God is there. Even in the lowest and darkest time of night, when we are most vulnerable to the enemy’s attack, God will come to our aid. Even when the nations rage against His people, God only speaks a word and the earth melts. The nations no longer have an inch of ground on which to stand.
And the presence of God is available for any and for all who understand its worth. He doesn’t reserve Himself for only the holy or the high and mighty. He is available for the Jacobs of this world, those who are inherently unstable, difficult, flighty, selfish, grasping, and deceitful. If such a God reached down to the likes of Jacob (before Jacob became known as Israel), you can be sure that He is not above helping you and me. “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you” (James 4:8).
When times are tight and the pressure is on, we tend to develop tunnel vision and lose perspective. Pain feels personal and has a way of pulling all our thoughts inward to self-pity. God knows this. He calls His people to lift up their eyes and “behold the works of the Lord!” He is putting down the nations’ proud rebellion against Him (v. 9) He is exalting His name in the earth (v.10), and He is keeping His people safe through it all (v. 11).
“Be still, and know that I am God”- God is rebuking His people for losing sight of the big picture. Isn’t that what so often happens in times of disaster, whether it’s a sick child, an “abnormal” medical result, collapsing markets, or the looming shadow of COVID-19? How easy it is for you and me to lose perspective, to miss the big picture and to fail to see how God is indeed working.
In my time as a pediatrician in the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, I saw many parents who saw only the crisis of a sick child. It’s the natural response for us all. But every so often, God brought one of His spiritual giants into the ward. It was usually a parent of a child with some chronic, debilitating illness such as cystic fibrosis—a parent, one long trained in the school of disappointment and with the kind of spiritual insight one never gains in following the path of least resistance. These dear souls saw the crisis and felt the bewildering pain just as keenly as the rest. But here’s how they were different: they had the faith to reach through that pain and lay hold of a better, richer, and truer reality. By faith, in the crisis, they saw an opportunity for God to reveal His glory, for their child to grow in grace, and for themselves to witness for the Savior. In these next few weeks, as we face our own share of “tight places” (Ps. 46:1), I pray that the Giver of every good and perfect gift will grant us all the grace to be courageous and joyful.
My Reflection: This psalm tells me why I am not to fear no matter what happens. I cannot imagine a worse time than when mountains fall into the heart of the sea and oceans roar! It would seem like the end of the world has come upon us. In my own life there are times I’ve felt that way, but this is a broader picture of something that would come upon the whole world and be earth shaking. What a terrifying picture except for one thing…God! It reminds me of something very important. No matter what earth shattering thing happens in my life or in the world, God is with me. He is right here by my side. He will never ever leave me for a second. Whatever I go through, I go through it with God. Like with Job, nothing can touch me without his consent. And if it costs me my life, then that life will be spent with God and my loved ones for eternity.
This earth is so temporary. I forget that sometimes. And we all will one day face death, whether I like to think of that or not. I will lose family members or my spouse or my friends. It will feel devastating, like the world has come to an end. But it will be temporary because we will all be reunited on the great day of the Lord’s return when he will be exalted among all the nations. This is my joy that can never be taken even in the midst of sorrow. It’s a hard thing to understand. People think a Christian shouldn’t mourn when we lose someone we hold dear. But it’s a reality that we mourn like anyone else. We get scared like anyone else. Sometimes we can lose hope and become despondent like David did in the psalms. But our joy and hope is we have our God who goes though it with us. So this psalm reminds me that one day every tear will be wiped away, and our joy will everlasting because we will see our Savior face to face. He causes wars to cease. Only He brings everlasting peace.
It saddens me when people do not believe in Jesus. I wonder how they can go through life without God. Where is their hope, their true joy? How do they survive life without him? I can’t even imagine. And when I see someone accept Christ into their lives I cry with the pure joy of someone being saved to life everlasting and entering the kingdom of heaven with me. So yes, this psalm reminds me one day we will all shout with joy and with adoration of our true King of heaven and earth who will finally bring a peace that no earthly kingdom can ever bring. What a day that will be when all knees will bow before the true king. I’m so glad that this psalm that begins with such a sad picture, ends with such wonderful hope.
SONG: Into to The Sea by Tasha Layton, A Mighty Fortress in our God, God is In Control-Twila Paris, Nothing is Impossible-Planet Shakers; All things Are Possible, Faith if The Victory, Waymaker, The Battle Belongs to the Lord, Our God is Mighty to Save, Be Still My Soul, Voice of Truth