God Is ...

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

“God is a safe place to hide.”

INTRODUCTION: It was during a downpour of rain on a Monday evening that I walked by the back door of our house in Valdosta, Georgia, and looking out through the blinds, I spotted a tiny little bird perched on the door facing underneath the eve of the roof. I thought . . . “What a safe place for this little bird to be during a thunder storm!” It had found a safe haven from the storm.

Like that little bird, according to the Psalmist, we too have a safe place where we can go and find safety during the storms of life. The Psalmist said, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” I like the way in which Eugene Peterson paraphrases this verse in The Message “God is a safe place to hide.” In his book, Why God? Chuck Swindoll quotes the late great preacher Charles Spurgeon, who wrote: “As God is all-sufficient, our defense and our might are equal to all emergencies. . . . He is not as the swallows that leave us in the winter; He is a friend in need, and a friend indeed. When it is very dark with us, let brave spirits say, ‘Come, let us sing the forty-sixth!’”

A fortress firm and steadfast rock,

Is God in time of danger;

A shield and sword in every shock,

From foe well-known or stranger.

Yes, my friends, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Or in the words of Peterson,

“God is a safe place to hide.” Like the little bird sitting on the door facing of our house underneath the eve, as children of God, we can say in the words of this great old hymn . . .

“A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord, A wonderful Savior to me; He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock, Where rivers of pleasure I see. He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock That shadows a dry thirst land; He hideth my soul in the depths of His love, And covers me there with His hand, And covers me there with His hand.”

Can you think of a safer place to be during the storm? In light of that question, let’s delve a little deeper into this Psalm as we pursue this whole idea of God is . . .

First,

I. GOD IS A PERSON - Let’s never forget that. While there is one and only one true and living God, according to Deuteronomy 6:4, which reads . . . “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!” . . . He has revealed Himself to us in three different persons; as God the Father; God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. In the words of the Baptist Faith and Message, “There is one and only one true and living God. He is an intelligent, spiritual and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience. The eternal God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.”

This truth is highlighted in the Doxology, when we say, “Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.”

God is a person, and one of the beauties of that is this - He relates to us in a personal way. When I read this Psalm, and others where it is appropriate, I like to personalize them, changing the personal pronouns to read like this . . . “God is (my) refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore (I) will not fear . . .(vv. 1,2). It is in the Lord’s Prayer that we have the privilege to address Him in a very personal way, when we say, “Our Father . . .” (Matt. 6:9).

Since God is a person, and relates to me in a personal way, I do not have to be afraid. In Him I have a safe place to hide. It was during a storm in Moses’ life that God said to him, “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock; and it will come about, while my glory is passing by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by”(Exodus 33:21-22). It was the prophet Isaiah who said . . .

“But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.” Can a woman forget her nursing child, and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me” (Isaiah 49:14-16).

“Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me in the shadow of Thy wings” (Psalm 17:8).

Not only is God a person who has revealed, and does reveal Himself to us in a personal way; protecting us during times of trouble . . .

II. GOD IS POWERFUL - In verses 8-9, the Psalmist invites the worshiping congregation to behold the power of God . . .

“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.

Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has wrought desolations in the earth. He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariots with fire” (Psalm 46:1; 8,9).

Since verse one is the key verse to this passage, the verse upon which the rest of the psalm hangs, we return to verse one to see the striking statement having to do with God’s power and His sovereignty. From this verse, as it relates to His power and His sovereignty, we can make application of this verse to our personal life. Four truths:

1. God has power and the authority to help us - Note the word “Refuge.” “Refuge is a prominent meaning of salvation in the O.T. God is a safe refuge for all who will turn to Him. No source of security is as sure as our good God.”

2. God has the power and authority to help us out of any trouble - God helps us when we find ourselves in trouble. During troublesome times it was the great reformer Martin Luther who wrote this great hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.”

“A mighty fortress is our God, A bulwark never failing; Our helper He amid the flood Of mortal ills prevailing. For still our ancient foe Doth seek to work us woe-His craft and power are great, And, armed with cruel hate, On earth is not his equal.”

A man by the name of the Apostle Paul, who often found himself in trouble could say . . .

“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13).

“God is our refuge and strength, and ever present help in trouble.”

3. God has power and authority to help us out of any trouble anytime.

Morning, noon, or night, God has the power and authority to help you out of trouble anytime. You see, according to the Psalmist . . .

“Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day, Nor the moon by night. The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forever” (Psalm 121:4-8).

4. God has the power and authority to help us out of any trouble anywhere.

Yes, my friends, God is a person . . . God is powerful, but know also that . . .

Third,

III. GOD IS PRESENT - Twice in this Psalm the Psalmist says, “The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold”(vv. 7,11). I like the way in which the NIV translates this passage, “The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

The fact, that, the Lord is with us is reinforced in other passages of Scripture . . .

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which translated means, “God With Us” (Matt. 1:23).

When we are threatened by some external or internal force, Where do we go? In verses 4-7, “The temple symbolizes God’s presence so strongly Israel gained confidence against all threats.” We do not have to go to the temple because God is with us . . .

In the words of Chuck Swindoll, “He is your refuge when you are all alone. He is Your refuge when you awaken in the night filled with fear, and cold sweat breaks out. He is your refuge, your strength, a very present help when events transpire that you cannot understand.”

What do we do when trouble comes? Pause. Don’t panic. He is our present help in trouble.

CONCLUSION: My question to you is this, “Is God your refuge and strength an ever present help in trouble?” If so, then you need not fear.