Psalms 46:1

Although it is promoted in practice by many different religious faiths, one of the most difficult exercises for many American Christians, including myself, is not sacrifice or giving. It’s not prayer or some form of devotion. It’s silence, stillness, and solitude. I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time with silence and stillness. Solitude, I’m okay with; I can be alone, but silence and stillness? I’m what you might refer to as a bouncer. No, I’m not talking about the kind of bouncer that stands in front of a club, stopping people from going in. I mean one of those bouncers that, when I’m sitting down, I can’t help but fidget all the time.

Does anybody else experience that? When I was a kid, my lovely mom would put her hand on my leg and say, “Stop.” Then the other leg would start bouncing. If it’s not my leg, it’s my foot. I just can’t sit still, which is why I don’t just stand behind this podium all the time. I have to be moving around. It drives our video guys nuts. In fact, right now they’re freaking out because I’m moving around a little too much for them. Sorry, Brett.

But that stillness and silence—I have to have something going on if I’m studying or reading. I know for a lot of people that can’t do this, but I have music playing; I need to have something happening, or else I get distracted by the silence. I have a difficult time with that whole area of stillness and silence, even though it’s esteemed in Christianity. The stillness and silence are lifted up. It’s come back; it’s kind of a new fad that was old. It started about the 1950s and then died out for a while, but now it’s back. For a price, you can go into this tank that has about ten inches of super salt water in the bottom of it.

It's pitch black. You go inside this tank with earplugs in, lay down, and float. It's like this sensory deprivation experience. For most people, especially if they have any phobia whatsoever, that sounds like a nightmare. However, if that sounds like something you're into, I'm sure you can get a deal on Groupon and go float in the darkness and be still. But for most Americans, that's a fad they're not interested in.

Even many Christians who appreciate stillness, solitude, and silence often come to this passage of Scripture that we're discussing today, this psalm, because there's a verse near the end of Psalm 46 that addresses that. A lot of people point to this as a really important component of faith. So, would you open your Bibles to Psalm 46? If you don't have a Bible, you can raise your hand, and one of our ushers will bring you one.

So far in our series on the Psalms, we're looking at about ten of the top psalms. Most of these have been written by a king over the nation of Israel who lived about 3,000 years ago named David. But this one is different.

Psalm 46 begins with a heading before verse 1: "To the chief musician, A psalm of the sons of Korah. A song for Alamoth." The psalmist writes, "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. The nations raged; the kingdoms were moved. He uttered His voice, and the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge." Selah.

"Come, behold the works of the Lord, who has made desolations in the earth, who makes wars to cease to the end of the earth."

He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two. He burns the chariot in fire. 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.

Lord, as we open this psalm and consider Your word today, I pray that You would give us insight and instruction by Your Spirit and through Your word, that we might know how to walk with You in a way that is more honoring and glorifying to You. God, work in us as we open Your word and think through it. Give us application, we pray. We ask this in Jesus' name, and all those that agreed said, Amen. You can be seated.

A psalm of the sons of Korah immediately causes us to ask the question: Who are the sons of Korah? Who is this little singing crew that likes to write songs? If you've been around the Bible for any length of time and have read through the Old Testament, at least the first five books, then you've probably come across a reference to the sons of Korah before. But if you haven't, that's okay. They are kind of a little-known group of guys among the nation of Israel.

The sons of Korah were the sons of, ultimately, a man by the name of Levi. Again, these names may mean very little to you, but in the book of Genesis, the very first book of the Bible, God called a man named Abraham to follow Him. God promised Abraham that He was going to do great things through his life and through his family. Abraham had a son named Isaac, and Isaac had a son named Jacob. God changed Jacob's name to Israel. Israel had twelve sons who became the twelve tribes of Israel, and one of those tribes was a tribe called Levi.

Through a turn of events recorded for us in the book of Exodus, the tribe of Levi became the priestly tribe of the nation of Israel. They were that brother who was given the task of serving the Lord and performing religious duties and priestly actions. Levi had a son named Kohath, and Kohath had a son named Izhar.

Izhar had a son by the name of Korah. We read of the sons of Korah in the tribe of Levi. Unfortunately, these sons of Korah became notable for a tragic event that took place in the Book of Numbers, specifically in Numbers chapter 16. It is recorded there that, at a certain point, the sons of Korah decided they did not care for the leadership of their leader, a man named Moses. They started what can only be described as a mutiny, a rebellion. In rebelling against the leadership of Moses, they were, in fact, rebelling against the leadership of God, who had set Moses in his place.

As you near the end of Numbers chapter 16, you see that God dealt with this rebellion in a very swift and dramatic way. The Bible describes in Numbers chapter 16, around verse 30, that the ground of the earth opened up and swallowed the sons of Korah, along with the 250 men who were following them in the rebellion. Thankfully, this little blip in their history was not entirely forgotten, but it was overlooked as time went by.

When you come to the Book of 2 Chronicles in the Old Testament, you find that this group, the sons of Korah, hundreds of years later, became associated with praise and worship in the temple. The idea of a worship leader rebellion is not new in history; it goes all the way back to Numbers chapter 16. However, after that event, the sons of Korah came to be known as worship leaders among the nation of Israel. They wrote psalms, not just Psalm 46, but also Psalm 42 and others.

In the headings of these psalms, we read that they were written by the sons of Korah. One such psalm is described as a song for Alamoth. Now, what in the world is Alamoth? There is a fair amount of discussion and some disagreement among commentators about what Alamoth means. It is not believed that the sons of Korah were writing for a girlfriend named Alamoth. Instead, it seems that this word speaks of something high-pitched. One commentator suggests that this was a psalm written to be sung by a certain choir of sopranos.

And so, this is a song written for the sopranos—not the HBO Sopranos. Charles Spurgeon and other commentators believe this wasn't written for a choir that was singing in high-pitched soprano tones, but rather for a specific instrument that played a high-pitched sound. The term "Alamoth" could refer to an instrument. Really, at the end of the day, it doesn't matter; that's just the heading. Let's look at the meat of the text.

It says, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Now, I think it's important to note, as we look at those words opening this psalm, that God does not merely create or make a place of shelter; He is a place of refuge, a place of protection from the storm. These worshipers who wrote this song know that God is not just a shelter, although that is true. He is a shelter, a protection, a refuge, among other things that people might run to for shelter or protection.

They also do not write, "God is the shelter," although that, again, is true. Among all the things that you or I or the world could run to for shelter, God is, I believe, the best one to run to. But notice they say, "God is our refuge and our strength. He's our very present help in time of trouble." He is our refuge. Among all the things that you could find refuge, protection, or shelter in this world, He is the best one, and therefore He should be your refuge.

In 2 Samuel chapter 22, verse 31, we read, "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." This God is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him. Of course, it implies that there are other shields to which people take refuge, but He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.

Point number one on your outline, your sermon guide, is there in your bulletin: You must choose to take refuge in the Lord. You must choose to take refuge in the Lord.

Among all the things that are available to find shelter and refuge in the storm, I am not talking about physical storms with thunder, lightning, and rain. We are discussing the storms of life—the storms that every single one of us goes through and experiences. There are all kinds of different things that you can turn to in the midst of these storms for shelter and protection. Here, the psalmist says the Lord is our refuge in the midst of that storm, the one that we turn to.

Not only is He our refuge, but He is also our strength. The same thing that I have said about refuge could be said about strength. He is strength; He could even be made the strength. From the Scriptures, we can prove that He is the one we turn to for strength, but what we see is that He needs to be our strength.

So the question comes to me, and it comes to us: Where do you turn to find strength? What do you turn to for strengthening and refreshing in this world? When the storms of life come to you, where is your source of strength? We all know the things that can sap our strength, but where do we turn for strength?

You might say, "If I could just get away from this hectic job, then I could be strengthened." You might think, "If I could just get away from this dirty house, I could find some strength." Or perhaps, "If I could just get away from these whiny children, I could find some strength." You might even say, "If I could just get away from this smelly spouse or this nagging wife, I could find some strength."

If only you had more money, more time, less responsibility, or less stress, you could find strength. There are all kinds of things that sap our strength—our vitality, emotionally, spiritually, and physically—on a daily basis. We know what those things are, and even if you could get rid of one of them, there is always something else waiting in the wings to follow. I hate to break it to you, but that's life. There are always waves of things that come and sap our strength.

The question is, where do you find strength in the midst of the troublesome, tiresome, and distressing things of this life? In the Old Testament, in the book of 1 Samuel, there is a story about a man named David. He had been anointed the king of Israel, but when he was anointed, there was already another king on the throne. You can imagine there could be a problem when that is going on. Ultimately, as time went on, this king David, who had been anointed by God, faced many challenges.

Saul didn't like the fact that there was another man anointed as king, so he began to pursue David and hunt him in the wilderness in an attempt to kill him. That could be distressing. As David was running in the wilderness from King Saul, who was trying to kill him, Saul was failing at his responsibility as king. The enemies of the nation of Israel were coming against the nation, but Saul was too busy pursuing David to spend his time dealing with the Philistines and these other enemies.

David, who was on the run from King Saul, realized that not only did he have to flee from Saul, but he also had to defeat these enemies. David had a band of mighty men around him, and as he was being pursued and running from Saul, he was protecting the nation with these mighty men. Unfortunately, at a certain point, it is described in 1 Samuel that while they were out defending against one enemy, another enemy came into their camp, destroyed it, and took all their women and children away as captives. When David and his mighty men returned from this battle, they found their camp destroyed and their wives and children taken.

Now, his mighty men turned on him. We read in 1 Samuel 30, verse 6, that David was greatly distressed. I think that's an understatement. David was greatly distressed. Saul was trying to kill him, he was defending the nation from enemies, and now his wife and children had been taken away. The wives and children of his men had also been taken, and now his mighty men spoke of stoning him. They wanted to kill him because the soul of the people was grieved, each man for his sons and daughters.

What do you do in the midst of that? Well, 1 Samuel 30, verse 6 doesn't end there. It says, "But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God." He was in the midst of an incredibly stressful and distressing situation, and he strengthened himself in the Lord his God. Notice that it does not say that he strengthened himself merely in the Lord God, but in the Lord his God.

Point number two on your outline: The Lord must be your God for you to experience His strength. The Lord must be your God for you to experience His strength.

His strength is certain. God is powerful, mighty, and strong. We call Him the Almighty God. However, you will only experience His strengthening if He is the Lord your God. David, in the midst of distressing and hard situations, when those closest to him were taken and when those around him wanted to turn on him, strengthened himself in the Lord his God. The Lord must be your God for you to experience His strength.

This truth is not just found in the Old Testament. In the New Testament of the Bible, we find this truth as well. There is an author in the New Testament called Paul, the Apostle Paul. Many of you have heard that name before. In one of his letters, 2 Corinthians, Paul describes going through distressing situations to the point that he was hard-pressed on every side, beaten down, and under a burden, so much so that he despaired even of life. He just wanted to throw in the towel and give up.

In the midst of this, he came to an important conclusion that I believe the Lord wants to bring us to. It is recorded for us in 2 Corinthians 3:5. He says, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as being of ourselves." We all need to come to the place where we recognize the poverty of spirit, the poverty of strength that we have. Jesus said in Matthew 5, "Blessed are the poor in spirit." Those who come to that place realize they are not sufficient in and of themselves to think anything as being of themselves. They cannot handle things on their own.

But Paul didn't end there. In 2 Corinthians 3:5, he continues, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as being of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God." As that letter continues, you get to 2 Corinthians chapter 12. There, Paul mentions that he had a great distressing burden upon him. We don't exactly know what it was, but he says, "Three times I went to the Lord and said, 'God, take it away. Take it away, please.'" And God said, "No."

Maybe you are in that place where it feels like everything is closing in. You have prayed, "God, take it away. Take it away." You have pleaded with Him, but God said to Paul, "No." Then He said this in 2 Corinthians 12:9.

My grace is sufficient for you. He didn't take the trouble away; He just said, "My grace is sufficient for you, and my strength is made perfect in your weakness." You see, I believe that God needs me, He needs you, He needs us to come to the place of right recognition that we, in and of ourselves, can do nothing. But we can do all things by Him who gives us strength.

If you're in a situation right now where everything seems to be closing in and you're praying, "God, take it away," and it's not going away, and you just feel like you're going to collapse, collapse into the arms of Jesus. Because He tells us in Matthew chapter 11, "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, weary, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for my yoke is easy, my burden is light."

While God is our refuge, He is our strength. We are told He is a very present help. A very present help. When God alone is your protecting shelter and your strength, He is also your very present help. He's not distant, as we are tempted to think when we're going through a situation of difficulty. We think He's so far away, as if you're out there on one of those long, sparse roads traveling through New Mexico or Arizona.

Have you ever been on one of those roads? You're going, and it's hot, like it's been here but even hotter, and then your car overheats or you get a flat tire. You think, "What am I going to do?" You call AAA, and they say, "Well, we're about six months from getting to you. We're sorry." It feels like that. There's no help; it's far away.

Doesn't it seem sometimes that when you don't really need help, there's ample help? It's like you're trying to lift something, and someone comes over and says, "Hey, can I help you with that?" You respond, "No, no, no, I got it. It's okay." They insist, "No, really, let me help you." You say, "No, I'm okay." Then, when you really need help, it's not there.

I seem to experience this at Home Depot constantly. No offense to any employees of Home Depot here, but I go in there knowing exactly what I want, exactly where it is, and what I need. I go right there, and there are like 50 people in orange aprons asking, "Can I help you?" I say, "No, I'm good. I'm good. I got this." But then, when I go in there and I have no clue what I need or where it is, or even what it is...

You're looking for the orange apron, but you can't find it. It seems like they just took a vacation from orange aprons. Where are they? Is anyone else with me on that? It seems that sometimes, when I really need help, it's not there. However, we are told that God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble. Not just when we don't need it, but specifically in trouble. When we need Him, He is there at the right time and in the right way.

This truth and promise are only for those who have chosen to take refuge in the Lord. If you do, notice what the psalmist says. Therefore, in verse two, pointing back to the fact that He is our refuge and strength, our very present help in trouble, we will not fear. Notice the certainty with which he states, "We will not fear." It is not a maybe, but an absolute expectation.

The fear that the writer, one of the sons of Korah, reflects upon here is not some casual concern over an unexpected bill. It is not a momentary, fleeting alarm that arises from a sudden noise. It is not even the real panic that comes when you've just missed an accident or have been in one. Instead, it is a real cataclysmic and severe trial.

Look at the very next verse, verse two. 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 the swelling thereof—Selah. A few weeks ago, I described this word, Selah, as a meditative pause. What I think it really means is to think about it. The Lord is our refuge and our strength, our very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, even if, and here the psalmist envisions a cataclysm. He is picturing the 122nd trailer of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's San Andreas. That is what he is seeing: the earth being removed.

And cast into the sea. How long have we been told California is going to fall into the Pacific? There you watch it. Oh my gosh, what is that? In fact, I was thinking about this the other day. I watched the trailer again. I didn't go see the movie because I thought, okay, all right. So anyways, I watched the trailer.

Twice in 120 seconds, they acknowledge God. The Rock is watching all this happen, and he goes, "Oh my God," with great acting—like Academy Award-winning acting. It's awesome. Then there's a guy talking to the nation on the news, and he says, "This is going to disrupt everything. And if you can't get out, God be with you." You're right. Yes, that's exactly my thinking too.

This is the disaster that the psalmist sees. I mean, look, that's exactly what it is. He's writing the play-by-play of San Andreas. Even though the earth be removed and the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, and the waters be troubled with tsunamis and all this sort of stuff, and the shaking thereof, think about it. If God is your refuge and strength, your present help in time of trouble, you don't have to fear even that cataclysm.

Now, that's hard for us because, frankly, 99% of the people that went out of that movie are thinking, "I gotta get some Red Cross stuff and training, and I gotta have a little kit for me because if it falls into the ocean, I need a kit and three days of water." That thing that you worry about constantly, that thing that you worry about even though it will probably never happen. I mean, Will Smith will come and save you from aliens, and The Rock will come and save you from the big one before that thing you fear ever even comes close to happening.

But that thing that you fear, you don't have to fear that if God is your refuge and your strength. Do you know, according to most studies on fears, what the number one fear that people in America have is? The number one fear in studies—what did you say? It's not death; it's public speaking. Death is number two. And I'm here to tell you, public speaking is not all that bad.

Although it's fine that you fear that because I don't need the competition, death is number two. That means if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy. As time goes on through people's lives, death becomes the primary fear, the primary thing that people are afraid of.

Yet we find in the New Testament, in the book of Hebrews, that Jesus, God, came to earth to die on the cross, to defeat the one who has the power of death, and to release those who have been under the bondage of the fear of death. How do I know that? Well, Hebrews chapter two, verse 14 says that inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood—we're flesh and blood—He, Jesus, Himself likewise shared in the same. He put on flesh and blood so that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through the fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Point number three on your outline: In Christ, there is no fear even of death. Now, in thinking about that, you have to ask the question, how is that possible?

Look at what the psalmist says in the next verses. Psalm 46, verse four states, "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; this city shall not be moved. God shall help her just at the break of dawn."

The psalmist, whoever this person is, turns from envisioning cataclysm and natural disaster beyond our wildest dreams until Hollywood came around. He shifts from picturing the seas being disrupted and the mountains shaking and falling into the seas to envisioning a still flowing river and the streams that bring joy to this city of God. This is His holy place, His tabernacle. He is in the midst of this city, and He is going to protect, provide, and shelter this city.

So he moves from cataclysm to stillness, calm, and peace—the city of God. Most commentators, if you ever read their commentary on this passage, will say that city is Jerusalem. I have a real problem with that for a number of reasons. Yes, Jerusalem was the home of the temple, the holy place, but it was for a relatively short time in history.

Here, the psalmist pictures a river flowing and bringing water to this city of God. If you've been to Jerusalem, you know there’s no river. In fact, the nearest river is 20 miles away. It’s kind of an oddity in ancient history because most cities were established by great rivers. This one, however, has its nearest river 20 miles away and 4,000 feet lower in elevation. There is no river.

But the biggest issue is that the psalmist talks about a city that will never be moved, that will be sure and steadfast. Jerusalem, in history, has been sacked, destroyed, rebuilt, and sacked again more than 27 times. If that is your peace and safety, you have issues. If that is the contrast to cataclysm, there’s a real problem.

So what is the city of God? I suggest to you that the city of God is the heavenly city, the kingdom of God, where He is, where He dwells. That’s what the psalmist sees. He sees natural disaster and disruption that would cause fear in the strongest of former WWF wrestlers. They are just torn up by this. Then he goes on to say, but there is this city of God.

It’s real. It’s tangible. It’s not an illusion or a figment of the imagination. It is real. The city of God exists, and God is there. There is peace, there is joy, and He protects His city. That’s where His mind goes. God shall help that city just at the break of dawn. The New Living Translation says that from the very break of day, God will protect that city because God dwells there. He’s not far off. That’s His city.

He doesn’t have to call to His army to amass a force for protection; He’s there. He protects the city day by day. So we have this contrast: the kingdom of God, the heavenly city, the new Jerusalem, and the natural disasters of the world.

Point number four on your outline: the Christian's hope and home are not in this world. The Christian's hope...

Home is not in this world. You should put a star next to that and an exclamation point. Our hope, if you're a Christian today, is that your eternal home is not here. If your hope and your eternal home are here, you have serious problems because everything in this world will shake, totter, and fall. If your trust, strength, and protection are in the things of this world, then when those things shake and totter, you will shake and quake too, and you will fall. If your refuge in the storm is in anything of this world—be it the stock market account, your 401(k), which is highly unlikely since 2008, your job, your education, your family, politics, or whatever it may be—if your hope is in that, those things will shake, and you will shake too.

But here, the psalmist says, no, there is a city, and God is there. He is in the midst of it, and He protects it. That is my hope. That is my home. In the New Testament, in the book of Hebrews, God speaks about this. It's in Hebrews chapter 11. I can't go there because I don't have enough time right now, so note it down: Hebrews 11, verses 10 and then verses 13 through 16. There, God, through the author of the book of Hebrews, speaks about Abraham from Genesis. He says that Abraham followed God by faith because he looked for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. He was not looking for an earthly city. Because he was looking for a heavenly city, whose builder and maker is God, when things didn't go as he thought they would in following God, he did not turn back and run away.

How many of you here today began following the Lord, and the expectations you had in following Him did not come out the way you thought they would? If you were looking for an earthly city, an earthly dwelling place, you would have cause to return. But Abraham looked for a city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. The conclusion in verse 16 is that this is why God is not ashamed to be called his God.

The psalmist moves from the city of God to the nations. He talked about natural disaster in the previous section, and now he moves to the nations. In verse 6, it says, "The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved." The nations raged, and the kingdoms were moved from nature to nations. This world is in constant chaos. This is exactly what Jesus said in what's called the Olivet Discourse.

Matthew chapter 24 in the New Testament states, "Listen, this is what you're going to see: 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." This is the world we live in—natural cataclysmic disasters, national upheaval, nation against nation, wars and rumors of wars.

But in the midst of this, there is a river. The streams thereof shall make glad the city of God. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved. With the moving of nature and the moving of the nations, He is sure and steadfast. That is my hope; that is my home. If you're a Christian today, your refuge, your strength is the Lord. That is your hope—not Washington, not Wall Street. None of these things of this earth can provide true security.

The nations raged; the kingdoms were moved. Now notice this: He uttered His voice, and the earth melted. What is that? It is a prophetic picture of something we believe has not yet happened. Peter talks about it in the New Testament as well. In 2 Peter 3:10, he says, "The day of the Lord will come. And when the day of the Lord comes, the heavens will pass away with a great noise. The elements will melt with fervent heat. The earth and the works thereof will be burned up." We look forward to that great day, the coming day of the Lord, when the heavens will be dissolved and the elements will melt with fervent heat.

Nevertheless, in 2 Peter 3:13, we are reminded, "According to His promise, we look for a new heaven and a new earth in which righteousness dwells." Here, the psalmist says the nations are raging, and nature is in upheaval. There is coming a day when God from heaven will say, "Stop," and everything will dissolve. For centuries—20 centuries—we have been praying, "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." He will establish His kingdom with humanity.

And then what? Notice what the psalmist says: "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, He is not moved by ISIS or Iran. He is not moved by the White House, Washington, or Congress. He is not even moved by the Supreme Court. He is not taken by surprise, as if He is up in heaven saying, "I just didn't see that coming. Peter, work something else out. I don't know what we're going to do." He is not moved by it.

The Lord of hosts is with us as long as the God of Jacob is our refuge. Think about it. He continues, "Come, behold the works of the Lord. Consider what He has done." Who has made desolations in the earth? Who has done this desolation? He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth. He breaks the bow, which is the bow for war. He cuts the spear in two and burns the chariot with fire. He destroys weapons of war; He destroys the elements of war, the instruments of war. He destroys it all.

When will this come to pass? Has this happened yet? No. When He comes, He will bring righteousness and peace and destroy all this. It is prophesied in Jeremiah, in Isaiah, and in Micah chapter 2 that they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. This is a great time of peace when He utters His voice from heaven, and there is melting.

Then, in verse 10, we read, "Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted above the nations; I will be exalted in the earth." Most Christians see this verse as a call to calm down and be still, and that is all fine and good. I think there is some application from that, but that is not the interpretation here. The voice of God is God from heaven speaking to the nature and the nations that rage, and He says, "Be still." It is a command; it is a stop, and it’s gone. There is coming a day, prophetically, when God will utter from heaven, "Stop."

A second time, the psalmist says these words: "The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge." Think about it. Point number five in your outline: Don't be shaken.

by the stirring of the world. God is on the throne. Don't be shaken by the stirring of the world. If your heart is quaking today because of the natural disasters and calamities or the national upheavals and things going on in the world, it is an indication that there is an idol wanting to take the throne of your heart. Hear this: if your heart is burdened and quaking because of natural disaster or national upheaval, it's an indication that an idol is vying for the throne of your heart. That idol needs to be cast down.

If there are people, news anchors, or AM talk show hosts speaking fear into your life, you need to cut that off. I know I'm going to get letters, and someone is going to be upset because I said it. But if Rush Limbaugh is your prophet, you have issues. The same goes for Sean Hannity or NPR. I don't care what spectrum you're on. If MSNBC is your thing, or Fox News, or CNN, or BBC, or whatever it may be, if that is speaking quaking and fear into your life and not just informing you about what's going on in the world, then it should be cut off.

I did a little test myself. I cut it off a long time ago. You know what? I got so much happier. People say, "Well, you just don't know what's going on." No, I know plenty that's going on. The devil is still wicked, the world is still falling, and Jesus is coming back. I'm good with that. I have work to do until He comes. Amen?

If you're quaking because of the things that are going on, there's an idol vying for the throne of your heart. It's not God, because He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. Don't be shaken by the stirring of the world. God is on the throne. Amen? Let's stand and pray. Father, I know I need that word today. I feel like there have been...

Waves of things have been coming into my life over the last weeks and months, trying to get my eyes off of You, the City of God, and to instill fear and 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, and the very present help in trouble. Thank You for Your help. Help me to trust You this week. I praise You and thank You in Jesus' name. And all those that agreed said, "Amen."

If in Jesus, the Farmer will work, Noah will produce. Whoever He is, He is in the... at whatever.