A Very Present Help

Psalm 46:1-2a says, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear." When you rest in God and Christ Jesus His Son, you will not fear. When you trust in the Lord, He is always there when you need Him. He will never fail you. He is our refuge! He is our strength!

As you look through this psalm, some powerful force obviously made the psalmist feel very weak and afraid. We don’t know what he was responding to but the force was very powerful, because he speaks of the mountains being carried into the sea, the waters roaring, and the earth trembling (vs. 2b-3). Yet we are told that he "will not fear" (v. 2a).

The psalmist felt helpless in his own strength, and he evidently knew the feeling well. Some have thought there was a foreign army invading the land destroying as it went. Others have felt it was some catastrophic event of nature, perhaps a flood, or an earthquake. Whatever the problem may have been, whether some catastrophic event of nature or the terror of some invading army, the psalmist had found the presence of God's splendor even in the midst of terror.

Yet in the midst of all this terror, his faith allowed him to stand strong. Even above all of the noise he was able to hear the still, quiet voice of God. There was no doubt in his mind that God was still in control of the world and that He was indeed a source of strength and refuge. As you consider the things happening across our land and around the world today, there may be questions in your mind about God's control of our world. In order to hear God, the psalmist had to first be still. "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" (v. 10).

We may find ourselves in a similar time. There are no mountains being visibly carried into the sea, but in a very strange way, the earth is trembling and we find ourselves under the influence of a very powerful force, a force that creates uncertainty and fear. But when you know Christ, there need be no fear.

We too can hear the quiet voice of God if we only allow ourselves to be still and listen. He is here with us right now. "The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge" (v. 11). There are needs which are very evident today, and the God of this psalmist is the same God at work in our modern world. He is our source of refuge and strength. Our world may appear to be turned upside down. In the midst of this trouble, God comes in strength and offers refuge and strength. God not only helps us, He is a present help.

The psalmist continues, "There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God" (v. 4). And in verse 5, "God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved." The "river" can be none other than the covenant God has made with His people. The "streams" of this "river" are then the outgoings and effects of that covenant—namely, Jesus Christ.

God sent His Son to die on the cross for you so that through faith in Him you would have forgiveness and new life in Christ. If you receive Jesus Christ by faith you will receive eternal life. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Confess your sin and ask Jesus into your life and you will begin a relationship with the Son of God that allows you to experience His refuge and strength each day. All who know Jesus as Savior and Lord can fully experience that grace and strength from God.

The God of Jacob, our God, is above and beyond all things. "He uttered His voice, the earth melted" (v. 6). By speaking a single word, He can change how things appear. There is no circumstance in our life beyond God's ability to help.

This same God of whom the psalmist speaks is here with us right now. He only asks that we trust in Him as the psalmist did. He is our source of refuge and strength. He is our "present help" (v. 1b). And He is waiting for you to respond to Him in faith and trust. Give yourself to Him right now and begin to experience His love and assurance. Amen.