God Is Our Fortress

Psalm 46                                                                                             God is Our Fortress

There are a lot of things that frighten us today.  What frightens you?  I looked into the things that frighten us this week and you’d be amazed at how many things we’re afraid of.  We fear public speaking, heights, Going to the Dentist, Flying, Snakes (Since we’ve lived here, we’ve had a bull snake, two rattlers, and two king snakes in our back yard).  We fear Spiders and Insects, Enclosed Spaces, Mice, Dogs, Thunder and Lightening

Now that’s just some of things that frighten us. Here’s another list:

We’re afraid of change

We’re afraid of being alone

We’re afraid of failing

We’re afraid of rejection

We’re afraid of something bad happening

We’re afraid of getting hurt

We’re afraid of uncertainty

We’re afraid of being inadequate

We’re afraid of losing our freedoms

And making honorable mention of our phobias; there’s a whole lot of people who fear clowns, who fear needles, who fear roller coasters or something as simple as crossing a bridge.  And on top of that, there many things going on in our world today that are triggering a whole new set of fears: We’re afraid of what inflation might do to our retirement savings. We’re afraid of what kind of world our grandkids are going to have to grow up in. We’re afraid of corruption in our government.  And for the first time in a quite a while, there’s a growing fear of a possible nuclear attack from Russia, and even the fear that we might get involved in a war with China.

So yes, there really are a lot of things that frighten us today. But did you know that God is aware of all our fears?  In fact, today we come to a Psalm that was written to quiet our fears.  We come to a Psalm that was written to give us courage and confidence in the face of our fears.  That Psalm is Psalm 46, where the psalmist reminds us that we do not need to fear because God is our Fortress.  In fact, as we unpack this Psalm today, we’re going to see three ways God helps us face our fears. And the first way is this:

His Protection Gives Us Courage “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” Psalm 46:1-3   The psalmist begins by making a pretty amazing claim.  He says, that since God is our refuge and strength, our whole world can fall apart, but we will not be afraid.  Now, you may be wondering, what took place that allowed the psalmist to make such a boast?

Well, it’s this: The Psalmist had just witnessed God annihilate Israel’s enemies when it looked like their enemies were going to annihilate them.  What happened is this: During the prophetic ministry of Isaiah, the Assyrians (a very brutal and barbaric people) would often surround cities and send messengers into them to taunt the people and encourage them to surrender. If they refused, the Assyrians would invade, set houses on fire, and murder and rape the inhabitants. Isaiah had already seen this happen to Israel; now Assyria was looking to conquer Judah.

This is how their taunting unfolded: First, a messenger was sent from the king of Assyria to Hezekiah telling him to surrender. He also sent messengers to tell the people that no god had ever saved anyone from him, and they must not listen to King Hezekiah if he should tell them to trust in the Lord. So, King Hezekiah does the only thing he knows to do.  When it seems the Assyrian king will prevail and even sends him a letter to assure him of that, Hezekiah takes the letter and lays it on the altar, gets on his face before God and begs God for help. Then, that at night, after Hezekiah prayed, the angel of the Lord went outside the gates of Jerusalem and killed 185,000 of the Assyrians soldiers.  God saved Judah.

Now, with that event fresh on his heart, the psalmist writes: God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  By declaring this truth, he means to encourage us to run to God and find protection from Him in times of trouble. Because God is strong, He’s strength will protect you. And because God is an ever-present help, you never have to run far to find refuge.  You see, a place of refuge is only good if you can get there in time, and since the Lord is always near, you can run to Him at any moment. And our response to this reality, should be: “we will not be afraid.”

You see, right now, you may feel like you have sufficient courage to face life’s fears.  Most of the time that’s true.  But there will be times when you will need God to be your refuge; to be your help. There will be times you will need God to be your fortress when your world comes crashing down.

That’s the point the psalmist is making here. God will protect you if you’ll run to Him.  He will give you courage if you’ll seek refuge in Him. He will give you His strength to face your worst fears if you will run to Him. God will be your fortress even if the worst thing you can imagine happens.  In fact, that’s why the psalmist talks about “mountains falling into the sea” When he does this, he’s describing a worst-case scenario. For ancient Israel, mountains were an image of strength and stability. So then, if your “mountain” falls into the sea, this means that whatever you’re trusting in for strength and security in this world is gone.  It’s a picture of having your world come crashing down. It’s what happens when we lose a loved one or get a devastating diagnosis – or when our fears become reality – when we fail, when we’re rejected, or when something bad happens.

The idea is simply this: If God is your fortress, you don’t have to fall apart when your world falls apart. You can go to God and find refuge, find strength to face the day, and courage to face your fears.  His Protection will give you courage. And we need His courage. But that’s not all He gives. For the next thing the Psalmist reveals is this:

His Presence Gives Us Confidence There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her; she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; He lifts His voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Psalm 46:4-7 Now, this second stanza contains a huge contrast in feelings.  The nations are raging; kingdoms are falling, the earth is melting – but the people of God need not worry nor fear, for God is with them.  In the midst of all the raging and chaos and all the fears, there are rivers and streams, that are making the people of God glad!

What’s that all about?  Well, throughout the Old Testament, rivers and streams have been symbolic of God’s presence.  Beginning with the Garden of Eden, the rivers flowing out of the Garden are meant to remind us that abundant life flows from the presence of God.  In this Psalm, the rivers and streams are a metaphor for God’s calming presence in the midst of turmoil.  And when you have God’s presence in the midst of turmoil, you will have joy, and you will have confidence to face your fears.

And one of the reasons you’ll have confidence to face your fears stems from the name of God that the Psalmist uses here: “The Most High.”  This name of God emphasizes His uniqueness and supremacy above all others.  Being the Most High God reminds us that God is the Creator of heaven and earth and the Owner of all. He is not merely mighty, but Almighty. He is the Sovereign Possessor and Controller of all things. So, when the Most High God is with you, you have nothing to fear.  For He sovereignly delivers His children and accomplishes His purposes even in the midst of our suffering.

I liken this in some small way to what it was like growing up knowing that my dad was always there.  When dad was home, I was never afraid.  When dad was home, I felt secure.  Home was a haven, a safe place.  His presence gave me joy and confidence, knowing my dad had my back.  But now magnify this reality, with the promise that your Heavenly Father is not just always there for you, but that He is the Most-High God. You can have confidence because He will always be with you.  Jesus promised this when he said, “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you.”  John 14:16-17 If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, the Most High God is with you. You have His presence with you, because you received the Holy Spirit when you trusted in Jesus.  This should not just give you joy, but confidence.  And then add to this reality with God’s promise to you from Hebrews, where God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So, we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6

This is why the Psalmist could say: “The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” Psalm 46:7 Mountains may fall into the sea; Nations may rage, and Kingdoms will fall.  But because God is our fortress, He will never let us fall.  That too is good news for those who trust in Him.  His presence gives us confidence.

But now, the psalmist concludes this psalm by reminding us of one more powerful truth about our God, and that is this: His Position Gives Us Rest:  Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations He has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields with fire.  He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”  The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Psalm 46:8-11

The third stanza of this song focuses on the position of the Lord as the sovereign God. Our God is exalted and reigns over all things. He wants us to rest in the knowledge of the power and authority of our God so we can face of any fear, even the fear of war – so the psalmist invites us to “Come, see the works of the Lord.” He invites us to see for ourselves –  God’s power over the power of men.

Think about what the people of Judah just witnessed.  They were about to be invaded.  It did not look good for them. But after the angel of the Lord shows up, there are now 185,000 Assyrian soldiers lying dead outside the city walls. Their camp is filled with bows, spears, and war wagons. The only way to dispose of the mess is to burn it. So, the psalmist invites them to come and see as the smoke ascends to the sky – every billow reminding them that their God has won the victory.  He makes wars to cease, He  shatters the bows, He cuts the spears.

Then God says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”   In this setting, “be still, and know that I am God” is not advice to us to lead us to a contemplative life, however important that may be.  It is a command from the triumphant warrior God to cease and desist, to stop!

This is the only command in Psalm 46. This is not a call to silence.  It’s not a call to meditation.  It is not a call just to be still.  It’s a call to stop.  It’s a call for God’s people to stop their worrying and fretting; to stop being afraid.  To stop and know who your  God really is! He is the God who reigns. He is the God who fights for you.  There is no other God who compares to Him.  He is the Most High God who controls all things.  He is the Almighty Lord of Hosts who cannot be defeated.  No one is more powerful than Him. No one and nothing can defeat Him.  And nothing can separate you from His love.

Listen to how the apostle Paul reminds us of this very same truth in Romans 8 – What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?… Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” Romans 8:31; 35-36

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For      I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39

So, God is calling us to stop worrying, stop striving, stop fretting. He is calling us to Lay down our arms. Surrender and acknowledge that God is the One and only victorious God, who reigns over all.  He will be exalted among the nations.  He will be exalted in the earth.

Right now, it may now seem that way.  It may seem like no nation exalts God, that they only exalt themselves. But the day of the Lord is coming, and when He comes, He will reign with righteousness; He will reign with justice and He will reign in power, and yes, on that day, He will be exalted in the earth.

But until that day comes, you and I can take comfort in knowing that our God still reigns over us.

He is our refuge and strength.  He is our help in times of trouble.                                          He is God Most High, the Almighty God who is always with us and always for us.            The world may not exalt Him now, but one day they will.

But until that day comes, we can stop and we can relax – we can rest – knowing that whatever we may face in the days and years to come we need not fear, for God will always be our fortress.

Let’s pray.