PSALM 46

S0NG OF MY WELL-BEING

 

When you were born there was someone there to feed you, change you, clothe you, and protect you. They were concerned about your well-being.

 

When you were a toddler there was someone to teach you to walk and talk. They also made sure that you started to learn what acceptable and unacceptable behavior is. They were concerned about your well-being.

 

During school years there were parents and teachers who watched your progress, encouraged you, and yes made you do what you should do, even when you didn't want to. They were concerned for your well-being.

 

In marriage most of us have had a wife or husband who has been concerned about our well-being and have tried to watch that we were protected and well-cared for physically and emotionally.

 

Most of us have friends who care about our well-being.  At Mt. Union Bible Church we are concerned that people are physically, emotionally, and most of all, Spiritually, cared for.

 

Above all others, it is God who cares about your well-being.

He is the one who created you.

 

He is the one who created you with the ability to choose between right and wrong. As well as being born a sinner, you have chosen to be a sinner, to disobey God.

 

He is the one who sent His Son to die in your place on the cross, so that you could have forgiveness of sins and eternal life through faith in Him. He has certainly shown concern for our welfare.  But His care does not stop with salvation

 

This evening we look into the Book of Psalms to find a Psalm or a song which really shows to me that God is concerned about how I am doing. Hence, I have dubbed it, "Song of My Well-being."

 

If you are feeling defeated, discouraged, afraid, or hurt this evening, this psalm should encourage you. This passage shows you that God cares about the state of your affairs! He has not left you out in left field somewhere fending for yourself!  In Psalm 46 let's look at:

 

CONFIDENCE OF FAITH Vss. 1-3

CITY OF THE FUTURE Vss. 4-6

CONFRONTATION WITH THE FOE Vss. 6-9

COMFORT FOR THE FAITHFUL  Vss. 10-11

 

CONFIDENCE OF FAITH Vss. 1-3

 

Vs. 1 - Read 

           Martin Luther wrote:

A mighty fortress is our God, A bulwark never failing.

Our helper He amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.

 

In Psalm 46:1 there are three thoughts about God which show us that God is concerned about our well-being.

 

God is my refuge.

God is my strength.

God is my present help in trouble.

 

·        GOD IS MY REFUGE

 

What is a refuge?  It is a place to hide.

It is a place to feel secure.

It is a place to feel protected.

It is a place to run where nobody can hurt you.

It is a place of shelter from the hurts, noise, and confusion of this world.

 

When troubles come we can run to our God and find His protection. Not that the problem will go away right away, but God will hide me and keep me!

 

Psalm 91:1 - He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

 

Psalm 27:5 - For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

 

O safe to the Rock that is higher than I,

My soul in its conflicts and sorrows would fly;

So sinful, so weary, Thine, Thine would I be;

Thou blest Rock of Ages, I'm hiding in Thee.

 

How oft in the conflict, when pressed by the foe,

I have fled to my refuge and breathed out my woe;

How often, when trials like sea billows roll,

Have I hidden in Thee, O Thou rock of my soul.

 

Hiding in Thee, Hiding in Thee, Thou blest rock of ages I'm hiding in Thee. William O. Cushing

 

GOD IS MY REFUGE

·        GOD IS MY STRENGTH

 

Problems do not always go away. But I run God as my refuge.

Problems do not always go away, but I run to God as my strength.

Jeremiah 32:17 - Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, [and] there is nothing too hard for thee:

 

Jeremiah 32:27 - Behold, I [am] the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

 

Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

 

We would be a whole lot happier if we realized that God will only ask us to face those things which He will enable us to face!

He will give us the strength for every difficulty as we allow Him to be our refuge and strength.

 

GOD IS MY REFUGE

GOD IS MY STRENGTH

·        GOD IS MY PRESENT HELP

 

"The Christian is guarded on all sides by the Lord."

 

GOD IS BEFORE US

Isaiah 48:17 - Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I [am] the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way [that] thou shouldest go.

 

GOD IS BEHIND US

Isaiah 30:21 - And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This [is] the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

 

GOD IS AT OUR RIGHT HAND

Psalm 16:8 - I have set the LORD always before me: because [he is] at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

 

GOD IS AT OUR LEFT HAND

Job 23:9 - On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold [him]: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see [him]:

 

GOD IS UNDERNEATH US

Deuteronomy 33:27 - The eternal God [is thy] refuge, and underneath [are] the everlasting arms..."

 

GOD IS INSIDE US.

1 Corinthians 3:16 - Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

 

I'd call that present help in trouble, wouldn't you?

 

An Australian missionary told a thrilling story of

the Lord's special care for him as he made a lonely and dangerous journey on foot. He had no problem getting to his destination, but was uneasy on the return trip because he carried with him a large sum of money. A man was waiting at a lonely spot, planning to rob and kill anyone who passed by. The missionary, unaware of this but concerned about the risk of traveling alone, prayed aloud to God for protection as he walked along. Before the bandit saw him, he heard him talking, and immediately he thought there must be two men, so he decided not to attack.

 

Later, he told someone what he had intended to do that day, and the news got around. When the missionary heard it, he realized that God's Spirit had prompted him to pray aloud as he journeyed. His heart rejoiced as he thought of the Lord's wonderful protection from harm. Source Unknown

 

God is our present help in trouble.

 

Vss. 2-3 - A friend of mine from our church in Fonda, NY often said, "What's the worse that can happen?"  The psalmist is envisioning it here. He says, "I will trust God even if the earth is moved, or the mountains are cast into the sea, or the waters cause a horrendous flood, or the mountains shake as a result.

 

Even if there is total chaos, I will trust God!

I do not know what all of you are facing today.

I know what some of you are facing and what I am facing.

No matter what is wrong or will be wrong in your life today, God can be trusted!

No matter what is wrong or will be wrong in my life today, God can be trusted!

 

THEREFORE WILL WE NOT FEAR!

 

CONFIDENCE OF FAITH

CITY OF THE FUTURE Vss. 4-5

 

Vs. 4 - There are times in Scripture when something written                                                                                                                                                                                                               refers to the current situation and to the future.

 

The city of God was Jerusalem.

The holy place was the temple mount.

Because cities of that day were walled to protect from the enemy, it was necessary to have a water supply inside the city.

In the case of Jerusalem, it was the stream of Siloam.

 

I personally feel that in these verses, God is taking us beyond this city. There is a future city coming!  And though we face all sorts of calamities now, the city of the future will totally protect us.

 

Speaking of Abraham, Hebrews 11:9-10 says,

By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as [in] a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker [is] God.

 

Hebrews 13:14 says of us, For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.

 

Revelation 21:1-4  - And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

 

Revelation 22:1-5 -  And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, [was there] the tree of life, which bare twelve [manner of] fruits, [and] yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree [were] for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name [shall be] in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

 

There is coming a day when no heartaches shall come,

No more clouds in the sky, no more tears to dim the eye;

All is peace forevermore on that happy golden shore,

What a day, glorious day, that will be.

 

There'll be no sorrow there, no more burdens to bear;

No more sickness, no pain, no more parting over three;

And for ever I will be with the One who died for me;

What a day, glorious day, that will be.

 

What a day, that will be, when my Jesus I shall see,

And I look upon his face, the One who saved me by his grace,

When He takes me by the hand, and leads me through the promised land,

What a day, glorious day that will be.

James Hill, © 1955 by Ben L. Speer

 

My friend, no matter what you face in this life, if you know Christ as your Savior, you have something better coming.

 

CITY OF THE FUTURE

CONFIDENCE OF FAITH

CONFRONTATION OF THE FOE Vss. 6-9

 

Read Vss. 6,8,9 - Israel often saw God fulfill these verses, and the enemies of God mightily defeated.

 

Kings like David, Hezekiah,  Jehosaphat and Josiah saw God's miraculous intervention in battle!

But again, I think we need to look ahead.

 

Vs. 9 says that He makes wars to cease unto the end of the earth. And that will happen!

 

Revelation 19:10-16 - And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See [thou do it] not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him [was] called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes [were] as a flame of fire, and on his head [were] many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he [was] clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word

PSALM 46 - PAGE 9

 

of God. And the armies [which were] in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on [his] vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

 

Psalm 2: 7-9 - I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou [art] my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give [thee] the heathen [for] thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth [for] thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

 

Have you ever stopped to think how this effects your well-being?

The enemies of God are defeated and you will live in peace.

In fact, the biggest enemy of all, Satan, has already been defeated at the cross. He lives on borrowed time!

The day is coming when no sin can ever touch you or anyone else!

 

CONFRONTATION WITH THE ENEMY

CITY OF THE FUTURE

CONFIDENCE OF FAITH

 

COMFORT FOR THE FAITHFUL Vss. 10-11

 

Vs. 10 - The advice of this verse should first be applied to God's enemies. If God is going to end all war. If God, through His Son is going to bring everything and everybody into submission, it is best to bow the knee now!

 

It is best to be still now, and know that Jesus is God now!

 

Philippians 2:10-11 - That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

Now there is comfort here for you and I who know Christ.

We need to be still, and let God work.

We stop our fussing and fuming, and start trusting and resting in Him, He works.

 

When we quietly give our problems to the Lord in prayer and believe that He will work, He does work!

 

1 Peter 5:7 - Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

 

Helen Steiner Rice wrote:

   Whenever I am troubled

      and lost in deep despair,

   I bundle all my troubles up

      and go to God in prayer,

 

   I tell Him I am heartsick

      and lost and lonely too,

   That I am deeply burdened

      and don't know what to do.

   But I know He stilled the tempest

      and calmed the angry sea,

   And I humbly ask if in His love

      He'll do the same for me.

   Then I just keep quiet

      and think on thoughts of peace,

   And as I abide in stillness

      my restless murmurings cease.

 

And notice, as we quietly trust Him, He will be exalted!

One of the ways that he is exalted is by taking care of his children!

 

Vs. 11 - The Lord of hosts is with us. And hear we think of the Heavenly Hosts, The Armies of Heaven. This is the one who commands the greatest army of all.

 

The God who has all the power and all the control is with us.

 

And then, the God of Jacob is our help.

God relates to frail.

God relates to the human.

God relates to Jacob, who, although he became a believer, was certainly a conniver and a sneak.

This is a comfort for me.

If God accepts Jacob, He will in the name of His Son accept me!

This great God who helped Jacob, is the God who helps me.

He wants me to be faithful in trusting Him.

 

COMFORT OF FAITH    

CITY OF THE FUTURE

CONFRONTATION WITH THE ENEMY (FOE)

COMFORT FOR THE FAITHFUL