This chaotic world seeks to rip you from God; find refuge as a member of His Church.
Psalm 46 (NIV)
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth. A song.
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.
Listen to passage & devotional:
Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 27: The Holy Catholic Church
We believe and confess
one single catholic (universal) church—
a holy congregation and gathering
of true Christian believers,
awaiting their entire salvation in Jesus Christ
being washed by his blood,
and sanctified and sealed by the Holy Spirit.
This church has existed from the beginning of the world
and will last until the end,
as appears from the fact
that Christ is eternal King
who cannot be without subjects.
And this holy church is preserved by God
against the rage of the whole world,
even though for a time
it may appear very small
in the eyes of men—
as though it were snuffed out.
For example,
during the very dangerous time of Ahab
the Lord preserved for himself seven thousand men
who did not bend their knees to Baal.
And so this holy church
is not confined,
bound,
or limited to a certain place or certain persons.
But it is spread and dispersed
throughout the entire world,
though still joined and united
in heart and will,
in one and the same Spirit,
by the power of faith.
Summary
Psalm 46 is familiar and well loved for a couple of reasons. One big reason that Psalm 46 resonates the way it does is because of how it accurately describes the chaos of our fallen world. There's trouble, as the whole world is collapsing into itself, earthquakes surge and shake, mountains fall into the heart of the sea, nations are in uproar and kingdoms fall.
All of these poetic pictures this psalm paints stand in stark contrast to the order and beauty that God created the world to have. The Bible often explains the effects of sin upon God's good creation, but few passages pack the rhetorical power of Psalm 46 in describing what Adam's sin unleashed.
But all of this verbal thunder is offset by the peaceful advice Psalm 46 provides. The three imperatives (commands) are nearly equally spaced throughout the poem: We will not fear (notice this imperative is phrased as an indicative!), Come and see what the LORD has done, and Be still and know that I am God.
You can have the peace this psalm commands because it promises the almighty presence of God immanuel - that is, God with us - even in the midst of the sin fueled chaos. Our God is an ever-present help in trouble; He is dwelling within the holy city, so she will not fall. God's presence is reiterated in the psalm's two identical refrains: The LORD Almighty is with us... (v7 & 11).
Dig Deeper
You're likely reading this post in the middle of another work week, and this peaceful refuge that Psalm 46 promises probably seems so far away in the midst of the chaos all around you. But this city of God which will not fall is far closer than you may think.
This city the psalmist writes of isn't a walled fortress located somewhere in Palestine, it's present wherever God's people meet to worship Him. It's the Church where God gathers, protects and preserves His people; the place which is well fed by the river of grace whose streams make glad the city [Church] of God.
God is within His Church, she will not fall. No matter what the nations do in their uproar, no matter how many kingdoms fall around her, all our God must do is lift up His voice and the fallen earth will melt leaving nothing but His purified Church. This is why, in the most pivotal moment of Jesus' earthly ministry, He told Peter that He would build my Church and the gates of Hell will not overcome it (Matt. 16:18).
As you navigate this chaotic, fallen world, do not fear; be still and know that He is God. You are secured forever as a member of the City of God: His Church. The Lord's Day is once again approaching. Come and see what the LORD has done.
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: This world is trying to pull you away from God with all its chaotic might. Pray that you can be still and know the LORD is God;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: 2 Corinthians 6
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