War in Ukraine! War in the Middle East! Demonstrations around the world! Where can we find peace in the midst of all this turmoil? Psalm 46 gives us the answer:
God Is Our Refuge and Strength (2 Kings 18:13–16; 2 Chronicles 32:1–8)
For the choirmaster. Of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. a Alamut song.
1 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth is transformed and the mountains are toppled
into the depths of the seas, 3 though their waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake in the surge.
Selah
4 There is a river whose streams delight the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. 5 God is within her; she will not be moved. God will help her when morning dawns.
6 Nations rage, kingdoms crumble; the earth melts when He lifts His voice. 7 The LORD of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah
8 Come, see the works of the LORD, who brings devastation upon the earth.
9 He makes wars to cease throughout the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields in the fire.
10 “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted over the earth.”
11 The LORD of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
Selah
Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.”
- The dictionary defines refuge as a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble: “he was forced to take refuge in the French embassy”
- ▪something providing shelter
Face it, folks! Finding mental and emotional refuge is becoming harder and harder as social media relentlessly takes over much of our world. Now we can access scenes of rape, pillage, murder, bombings, and terrorism 24/7. Proverbs 23:7 tells us, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” The more we focus on evil, the more we will be disturbed by it.
Finding physical refuge can be equally challenging. Just ask all those folks who had lovely quiet mountain homes in western North Carolina and east Tennessee, only to narrowly escape as those same homes were devastated by flooding and landslides. No, there’s no physical refuge that cannot be destroyed in some fashion, no matter how careful we are.
We can create temporary emotional refuges for ourselves by using Spotify or other programs to create lists of music we can enjoy; however, if our devices fail us, we are back to our same frustrating dilemma.
The challenges of finding joy and peace are as old as the human race. Read the Book of Ecclesiastes and marvel as Solomon complains about the emptiness of riches. Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 “I, the Preacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven; this burdensome task God has given to the sons of man, by which they may be exercised. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind. What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be numbered. I communed with my heart, saying, “Look, I have attained greatness, and have gained more wisdom than all who were before me in Jerusalem. My heart has understood great wisdom and knowledge.” And I set my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is grasping for the wind.
For in much wisdom is much grief, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.”
When wisdom did not satisfy Solomon, he went further. “I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore, enjoy pleasure;” but surely, this also was vanity. I said of laughter— “Madness!;” and of mirth, “What does it accomplish?” I searched in my heart how to gratify my flesh with wine, while guiding my heart with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was good for the sons of men to do under heaven all the days of their lives.
I made my works great, I built myself houses, and planted myself vineyards. I made myself gardens and orchards, and I planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. I made myself water pools from which to water the growing trees of the grove. I acquired male and female servants, and had servants born in my house. Yes, I had greater possessions of herds and flocks than all who were in Jerusalem before me. I also gathered for myself silver and gold and the special treasures of kings and of the provinces. I acquired male and female singers, the delights of the sons of men, and musical instruments of all kinds.
So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. Whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor; and this was my reward from all my labor. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 2:1-11)
How can we find refuge in God when we cannot see Him or touch Him? We can pray and ask our Heavenly Father to save us and to protect us. A famous preacher has said, “Omnipotence has servants everywhere.” When we don’t know which way to turn, God still has people to shelter us, to provide for us, and to comfort and strengthen us. No matter how hard Solomon tried, eventually, everything he did for himself yielded only disappointment. But God never disappoints. When we trust God, He will provide for our needs, provided we are following Him whole-heartedly. May we trust God and delight in His unexpected miracles!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we bless Your Name, for You ARE our refuge and strength. You are the only One on whom we can count. Please help us to trust where we cannot see. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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