Text: Psalm 46
God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, 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. 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, 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. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the 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.
Devotion
The waters spoken of in this psalm are the peoples on earth, and the mountains in the midst of the sea are governments and rulers. There have often been great revolutions in the world. Kingdoms are overthrown and thrones are crushed, mighty princes fall, and the sea of humanity roars. Even harsher storms will come, so that the peoples shall roar, kingdoms be moved, and the mountains tremble at its haughty billows. Finally all will be gathered together for war against the city of the Lord,7 that is: against God’s people, the Christian Church on earth. But God is our refuge and strength. We have no reason to fear, however dreadful it appears. God is in the midst of His city. The great, almighty God Himself is with His people and gives them fountains of water. In His Means of Grace, in the Word and Sacraments, He gives them comfort, and peace, and joy. The sea of people is troubled and restless and seethes continually with dirt and mud. God’s Church, which dwells in the midst of the people, still has rest and joy by the streams of the river. From God’s throne in the midst of the Church comes forth the stream of life, which Ezekiel speaks of in chapter 47. It is the life of grace and mercy by the Holy Spirit in the Church’s Means of Grace. It is never destroyed, never washed away, never overpowered by the waters of the world, but it shall keep itself pure and fresh and exert its influence over the whole world.
It seems so dark for Israel at the Red Sea. The bold and mighty king who had asked: “Who is the Lord, that I should obey?” (Exo 5:2) now frightened them sorely. But “when the morning watch came,” God helped them (Exodus 14:24). Sennacherib threatened Jerusalem and asked: “Who among all the gods of these lands has delivered their countries from my hand?” And in the morning his army were all dead bodies (Isaiah 36:20; 37:36).
The Lord, the God of hosts, is with us. We could not be saved by anything or anyone less. For our enemies are principalities and powers and spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph 6:12). We need the Lord of hosts Himself as our Protector. But He is also in truth our mighty Fortress. “Therefore trouble can only keep watch over us. When the morning breaks forth, the Lord drives it away and sends another guest, an abiding one, namely salvation.”
What we sing in this beautiful psalm concerning Israel’s help in God is true for all times. “There is only one Church of God through all the ages.” You belong to it, believing Christian friend. You live in the city of God. Let its business be yours, and you shall see the Lord’s salvation and glorious realization that He is God.
Hymn
A mighty Fortress is our God,
A trusty Shield and Weapon;
Our help is He in all our need,
Our stay, whate’er doth happen;
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe:
Strong mail of craft and power
He weareth in this hour;
On earth is not his equal.
Stood we alone in our own might,
Our striving would be losing;
For us the one true Man doth fight,
The Man of God’s own choosing.
Who is this chosen One?
‘Tis Jesus Christ, the Son,
The Lord of hosts, ’tis He
Who wins the victory
In every field of battle.
And were the world with devils filled,
All watching to devour us,
Our souls to fear we need not yield,
They cannot overpower us;
Their dreaded prince no more
Can harm us as of yore;
His rage we can endure;
For lo! his doom is sure,
A word shall overthrow him.
Still must they leave God’s Word its might,
For which no thanks they merit;
Still is He with us in the fight,
With His good gifts and Spirit.
And should they, in the strife,
Take kindred, goods, and life,
We freely let them go,
They profit not the foe;
With us remains the kingdom.
Luther: L 266 ELH 251 tr. Book of Praise;
tune: Ein feste Burg