Random Encouragement from the Psalms - Pt. 8

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!