BLESSINGS OF GOD’S PRESENCE (3)

“GOD IS IN THE MIDST of HER, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn” – Psalm 46:5

Refuge, Strength, Stability, Courage, and Indomitable Faith are BLESSINGS of GOD’S PRESENCE that truly make the difference: “God is our refuge and strength, a VERY PRESENT HELP in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling. There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High. GOD IS IN THE MIDST of HER, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn” (Psa.46: 1-5).

Psalm 46 is a song of confidence in the Lord, which inspired Martin Luther to write his hymn, A Mighty Fortress is Our God. It is grouped as one of the songs of Zion, the others being Psalm 48, 84, 87, and 122. These psalms celebrate Jerusalem, the city of God, as the place where God dwells with His people. This very personal psalm focuses on God as the refuge and strength of His people when they turn to Him in trouble. God is declared to be “our refuge and strength” (v.1b); He “is with us” and “is our refuge” (vv. 7,11). The psalm has three parts: God is the refuge and strength for His faithful people, even when the world around them is chaotic (vv. 1-3); God is among His faithful people to protect them when the enemy invades (vv. 4-7); and God calls His people to witness the defeat of the Gentile nations (vv. 8-11).

God is our Place of Refuge, our safe place, our retreat; where we run for protection from the storms of life; and into whom we run when fear assails: “For You have been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat…” (Isa.25:4). God is our Source of Strength or “Power.” He promises to give us “power” with the coming of the Holy Spirit who now lives within us (Acts 1:8). But a place of refuge and a source of strength wouldn’t do any good if unavailable. We need safety and strength close by. Thankfully, God is our EVER-PRESENT HELPER, the One who cares enough to share His unlimited resources with us. He is always near, nearer to us than we are to ourselves; “Therefore, we will not fear” (v.2a). Our consciousness of His Presence dispels fear and instils courage.

When life goes along as usual, we don’t think much about how vulnerable we are. We take so much for granted. It’s when crisis hits that everything changes. The word “trouble” means: “tribulation,” “trial” or “distress.” The world is literally going through chaos and tribulations. But the Omnipresent God, by His Presence, is our Refuge, Strength, Helper, and Sustainer when it seems “all hell is breaking loose”! God fortifies and stabilizes our stressed-out souls in troubling times. He is willing and able to make His comforting Presence and sustaining Power real to us, and make a difference in our circumstances: “For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The Lord is MY HELPER; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Heb.13:5b-6).

We have only one Source of Security – God, our heavenly Father. When wars break out, governments fail, natural disasters strike, health challenges appear, or friends betray, it’s only in God we can find security. With Him on our side, even our enemies will be at peace with us (Pro.16:7). When the Lord is with us, no adversary is permitted to lift a finger or prevail against us: “The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge…He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots in the fire” (vv.7-9, 11). The awesome Blessings of His Presence make the difference!