God is our refuge and strength, a
very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives
way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though hits
waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. There is a
river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most
High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her
when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice,
the earth melts. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our
fortress. (Psalm 46:1-7 ESV).
The first words of this psalm announce its theme: God is our refuge—our fortress and shelter. God is also our strength, our help, the one who deals with the perils surrounding us. And because God is our refuge and help, we have nothing to fear, even if life throws its worst tantrums at us. This was so evident when the disciples of Jesus feared for their lives in a storm one day, out on a boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee. Calling out to Jesus, He stood up and said to the wind and the sea, “Quiet! Be still!” The wind quit; there was dead calm. “Who is this?” they asked. “Even the wind and the waves obey him!” (cf. Mark 4:35-41.)
The
Lord Almighty was in that boat as their helper; the God of Jacob was their refuge.
Our faith is always being subjected to storms and earthquakes. Where can we
find safety and security? Listen to the psalmist: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way…” This is not an
empty, baseless promise. There is a certain and trustworthy basis for our faith.
The God who made us and everything in our world, in all circumstances, no
matter how terrible or frightening, this unchanging God is our refuge and
strength.
Many
people today think of “A Mighty Fortress” as the “Battle Hymn of the
Reformation.” It is one of the most translated hymns in the history of the
Church, having been translated into more than 200 languages. What many of us
might not realize is that the Festival of the Reformation was not celebrated
during Luther’s lifetime. Most scholars think Luther wrote the hymn between
1521 and 1529, with the majority of scholars settling on 1527–28. These years
were some of the darkest in Luther’s life. A heading from a broadsheet
(something akin to modern “sheet music”) of “A Mighty Fortress” published in
Augsburg in 1529 reads “A Hymn of Comfort.” Rather than a battle hymn, Luther
intended this hymn, based on Psalm 46, to be one of comfort. Read it like that
in your life!
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