Psalms 46:1

To the chief musician. A psalm of the sons of Korah. A song for Alamoth. > 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 the waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah. > There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle 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... > Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

When the whole world shakes, the believer's refuge is not in anything of this world but in the God who reigns over the city that cannot be moved.

The Difficulty of Stillness

Though it is promoted by many different religious faiths, one of the most difficult religious exercises for many American Christians—including myself—is not sacrifice or giving, prayer or devotion. It's silence and stillness and solitude. Solitude I'm okay with; I can be alone. But silence and stillness are hard for me. I'm what you might call a bouncer—not the kind in front of a club, but the kind who can't sit still without my foot or leg going. When I was a kid, my mom would put her hand on my leg and say, "Stop," and then the other one would start.

If I'm studying or reading, I have to have music or something going, or I get distracted by the silence. Even though stillness and silence are esteemed in Christianity, this whole area is difficult for me. It's even come back as a fad. For a price you can climb into a tank with ten inches of super-salt water in pitch black, with earplugs, and float in sensory deprivation. For most people, especially anyone with a phobia, that sounds like a nightmare.

Many Christians who are into stillness and solitude come to this psalm, because there's a verse near the end of Psalm 46 that deals with it. A lot of people point to this as an important component of faith. So far in our series on the top Psalms, most have been written by King David, who lived about 3,000 years ago. But this one is different.

Who Are the Sons of Korah?

The heading reads, "A psalm of the sons of Korah." Who are these guys, this little singing crew that likes to write songs? The sons of Korah trace back to a man named Levi. In Genesis, God called Abraham to follow Him and promised to do great things through his family. Abraham had Isaac, Isaac had Jacob—whom God renamed Israel—and Israel had twelve sons who became the twelve tribes. One of those tribes was Levi, which through events in Exodus became the priestly tribe, given to the task of serving the Lord. Levi had a son Kohath, who had Izhar, who had Korah—hence the sons of Korah.

Unfortunately, these men became notable for a tragic event in Numbers 16. The sons of Korah decided they did not care for the leadership of Moses, and they started what can only be described as a mutiny. In rebelling against Moses, they rebelled against God, who had set Moses in his place. God dealt with it quickly and awesomely: the ground opened up and swallowed Korah and the 250 men who followed him. So the idea of a worship-leader rebellion isn't new—it goes all the way back to Numbers 16.

Thankfully, that blip in their history was overlooked as time went by. By 2 Chronicles, hundreds of years later, the sons of Korah came to be associated with praise and worship in the temple. They wrote not only Psalm 46 but also Psalm 42 and others. The heading also says this is "a song for Alamoth." Commentators disagree about what that means. Because of what the word means, it seems to speak of something high-pitched—perhaps a choir of sopranos, or, as Charles Spurgeon suggests, a specific instrument that played a high-pitched sound. At the end of the day, that's just the heading. Let's look at the meat of the text.

God Is Our Refuge and Strength

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Notice: God does not merely create a place of shelter—He is a place of refuge, a protection from the storm. These worshipers don't write that God is a shelter, although that's true. Among all the things people run to for shelter, God is a shelter—and the best one. They also don't write that God is the shelter, although among all those things He is the best to run to. They say God is our refuge and strength.

Second Samuel 22:31 reads, "This God, his way is perfect. The word of the Lord proves true. He is a shield for all those who take refuge in him." It implies there are other shields people run to, but He is the shield for those who take refuge in Him. Point one: You must choose to take refuge in the Lord. I'm not talking about physical storms with thunder and lightning, but the storms of life every one of us experiences. There are all kinds of things you can turn to for shelter, but the psalmist says the Lord is our refuge in the midst of the storm.

He is also our strength. From Scripture we could prove He is the one we turn to for strength, but what we see here is that He needs to be our strength. So the question comes: where do you turn to find strength? We all know what saps our strength. "If I could just get away from this hectic job... this dirty house... these whiny children... this nagging spouse... if I just had more money, more time, less responsibility, less stress—then I could find strength." There are all kinds of things that sap our vitality emotionally, spiritually, and physically. But even if you could get rid of one, something else is waiting in the wings. That's life. The question is where you find strength in the midst of the troublesome and distressing things.

The Lord Must Be Your God

In 1 Samuel, David had been anointed king of Israel, but Saul was already on the throne, and you know there could be a problem when that's going on. Saul didn't like that another man had been anointed, so he pursued David in the wilderness to kill him. Meanwhile, Saul was failing in his responsibility, and the enemies of Israel were attacking. David, on the run from the king who should have been protecting the nation, had to defend it himself with his band of mighty men.

At one point, while they were out defending against one enemy, another enemy raided their camp, destroyed it, and carried off their wives and children as captives. David and his men returned to find everything gone, and now his own men turned on him. First Samuel 30:6 says, "Now David was greatly distressed"—that's an understatement. Saul was trying to kill him, the enemies were pressing, his family was taken, and his men spoke of stoning him.

But the verse doesn't end there: "But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God." Notice it does not say merely "in the Lord God," but "in the Lord his God." Point two: The Lord must be your God for you to experience His strength. God is mighty—we call Him the Almighty—but you will only experience His strengthening if He is the Lord your God.

This is not only an Old Testament truth. In 2 Corinthians, Paul describes going through distressing situations to the point that he was hard pressed on every side, despairing even of life. He came to an important conclusion in 2 Corinthians 3:5: "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as being of ourselves." We all need to come to that place of poverty of spirit. Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit." But Paul didn't end there: "Our sufficiency is of God."

In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul says he had a great distressing burden, and three times he asked the Lord to take it away. God said no. Maybe you're in that place—you've pleaded, "God, take it away," and He said no. But then God said, "My grace is sufficient for you, and my strength is made perfect in your weakness." God needs us to come to the right recognition that in ourselves we can do nothing, but we can do all things through Him who gives us strength. So if everything seems to be closing in, collapse into the arms of Jesus, who says, "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest... For my yoke is easy, my burden is light."

A Very Present Help in Trouble

When God alone is your shelter and strength, He is also your very present help. He's not distant, as we are tempted to think. We imagine Him far off, like being broken down on one of those long, hot roads through New Mexico or Arizona—you call AAA and they say they're six months from getting to you.

Doesn't it seem that when you don't need help, there's ample help? You're trying to lift something and someone offers, "Can I help you with that?"—"No, I've got it"—but when you really need help, it's not there. I experience this at Home Depot. When I know exactly what I need and where it is, there are fifty people in orange aprons asking if they can help. But when I have no clue and I'm searching, where are the orange aprons? They've all taken a vacation. Yet here we're told God is a very present help—not when we don't need it, but "in trouble." When we need Him, at the right time, in the right way.

Therefore We Will Not Fear

This promise is only for those who have chosen to take refuge in the Lord. "Therefore," verse 2, "we will not fear." Notice the certainty—not a maybe, but an absolute expectation. And the fear in view is not casual concern over an unexpected bill or alarm at a sudden noise. It's not even the panic of a near-accident. It is real, cataclysmic, severe trial: "Even though the earth be removed and the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, though the waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake. Selah."

A few weeks ago I explained that word "Selah"—a meditative pause that essentially means, think about it. The psalmist pictures cataclysm. He's seeing the trailer for Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's San Andreas—the earth cast into the sea, California falling into the Pacific. Interestingly, twice in 120 seconds that trailer acknowledges God: The Rock watches the disaster and says, "Oh my God," and a newsman tells the nation, "If you can't get out, God be with you." But think about it: if God is your refuge and strength, you don't have to fear even that cataclysm.

That's hard for us, because most people walked out of that movie wanting Red Cross training and an emergency kit. That thing you worry about constantly, that probably will never happen—Will Smith will save you from aliens and The Rock will save you from the big one before it ever comes close. But you don't have to fear it if God is your refuge.

No Fear Even of Death

According to most studies, the number one fear Americans have is not death—it's public speaking. Death is number two. So if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy. But as life goes on, death becomes the primary fear. Yet Hebrews tells us Jesus came to earth to die and defeat the one who has the power of death. Hebrews 2:14 says that since the children share in flesh and blood, He likewise shared in the same, "that through death he might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."

Point three: In Christ there is no fear, even of death. How is that possible? Look at verse 4: "There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle 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." The psalmist turns from cataclysm to a still-flowing river and streams that bring joy to the city of God. God is in the midst of this city, and He protects, provides, and shelters it. He moves from cataclysm to stillness, calm, and peace.

Most commentators say that city is Jerusalem. I have a problem with that. Yes, Jerusalem was home to the temple, but only for a relatively short time. The psalmist pictures a river bringing water to the city, yet Jerusalem has no river—the nearest is twenty miles away and four thousand feet lower, an oddity since most ancient cities were built by great rivers. The bigger issue is that this city will never be moved, while Jerusalem has been sacked, destroyed, and rebuilt more than twenty-seven times. If that is your peace and safety, you have issues.

Our Hope and Home Are Not in This World

I suggest the city of God is the heavenly city, the kingdom of God where He dwells. The psalmist sees natural disaster that would tear up the strongest of men, and then says, "But there is this city of God." It's real, tangible, not an illusion. God is there, there is peace and joy, and He protects it. "God shall help her just at the break of dawn"—from the very break of day. He doesn't have to amass an army; He's there, protecting day by day.

Point four: The Christian's hope and home are not in this world. Put a star and an exclamation point next to that. If you're a Christian, your eternal home is not here. If your hope and home are here, you have serious problems, because everything in this world will shake, totter, and fall. If your refuge is in the stock market, your 401(k), your job, education, family, or politics, then when those things shake, you will shake and fall with them. But the psalmist says God is in the midst of His city, and that's his hope and home.

Hebrews 11:10 and 13–16 speak of Abraham, who followed God by faith because "he looked for a city which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God." He was not looking for an earthly city, so when things didn't go as he expected, he didn't turn back. How many of you began following the Lord, and the expectations you had did not come out the way you thought? If you were looking for an earthly dwelling place, you'd have cause to return. But because Abraham looked for the heavenly city, verse 16 concludes, "God is not ashamed to be called his God."

The Nations Rage, but God Reigns

The psalmist moves from natural disaster to the nations in verse 6: "The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved." This world is in constant chaos. Jesus said the same in the Olivet Discourse, Matthew 24: "Nation will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom. There will be wars and rumors of wars. These are the beginning of sorrows, but the end is not yet." That's the world we live in—natural disaster, national upheaval, wars and rumors of wars. But in the midst of it, "there is a river... God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved." With the moving of nature and nations, He is sure and steadfast. That's our hope, our home—not Washington, not Wall Street.

"He uttered his voice, the earth melted." This is a prophetic picture of something not yet fulfilled. Peter says in 2 Peter 3:10, "The day of the Lord will come... the heavens will pass away with a great noise. The elements will melt with a fervent heat." Nevertheless, verse 13, "we, according to his promise, look for a new heaven and a new earth in which righteousness dwells." There's coming a day when God will say "Stop," and everything will dissolve, and—as we've prayed for twenty centuries—"Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

Don't Be Shaken—God Is on the Throne

"The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge." Think about it. He is not moved by the shaking of Wall Street or the Chinese markets, by ISIS or Iran, by the White House, Congress, or even the Supreme Court. Nor is He taken by surprise, as if He's in heaven saying, "I didn't see that coming." "Come behold the works of the Lord, who has made desolations in the earth, who makes wars to cease... He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two. He burns the chariot in fire." When He comes, He will bring righteousness and peace and destroy all instruments of war. This is prophesied in Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Micah 2—they will beat their swords into plowshares.

Then verse 10: "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations." Most Christians read this as a call to themselves to calm down. There's some application there, but that's not the interpretation. This is God speaking from heaven to the nature and nations that rage, commanding them, "Be still." There is coming a day when God will utter from heaven, "Stop." So a second time the psalmist says, "The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge."

Point five: Don't be shaken by the stirring of the world. God is on the throne. If your heart is quaking because of natural disasters or national upheavals, it's an indication that an idol is vying for the throne of your heart, and that idol needs to be cast down. And if there are news anchors or talk-show hosts speaking fear into your life, you need to cut that off. I know I'll get letters, but if Rush Limbaugh is your prophet, you have issues—or Sean Hannity, or NPR. I don't care what spectrum you're on. If MSNBC, Fox News, CNN, or BBC is speaking quaking and fear into your life rather than simply informing you, it should be cut off.

I did the test myself. I cut it off a long time ago, and I got so much happier. People say, "But you don't know what's going on." I know plenty—the devil is still wicked, the world is still falling, and Jesus is coming back, and I'm good with that. And I've got work to do until He comes. If you're quaking because of what's going on, an idol is vying for the throne of your heart. It's not God, because He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Don't be shaken by the stirring of the world. God is on the throne.

Closing Prayer

Father, I know I need that word today. I feel there have been waves of things coming the last weeks and months—things that come into my life trying to get my eyes off of You, the city of God, and to make me fearful and in turmoil. Yet Jesus, You said, "Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions; were it not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also." God, help me to keep that in my mind constantly and to keep You on the throne of my life, because You are the protector, the refuge, the strength, the very present help in trouble. Thank You for Your help; help me to trust You this week. We praise You and thank You in Jesus' name. Amen.