Grace Blog

This past Sunday we heard Pastor Merritt unfold God's Word to us from Psalm 46. Merritt reminded us that "The LORD of hosts is in control and with us, through all trouble and rebellion." What a great truth to be reminded of! Even better is to know that since it was God who put Psalm 46 in our Bibles, we can trust that He will give us the grace to believe this truth when we find ourselves in times of trouble and rebellion.

Desiring to extend this sermon throughout your week, here is a little devotion on the first verse of Psalm 46. 

Suffering is a fact of life in a fallen and broken world. The truth is if you have not already, you will experience suffering, trouble, or trials of various kinds. A wise man once wrote, "...all we have to do is live long enough, and we will suffer."* Well I guess I've lived long enough. Over the past three years, Lauren and I have gone through several trials: family, job, and even personal. Before the Lord gifted Lauren and I with Payton Anne, we had three miscarriages. This is not one of those things that gets easier with experience. There was significant weeping with heavy hearts.

Through this time, there has been one verse in particular that has continued to be a "rock" under my feet, Psalm 46:1.

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

This verse is great news for sufferers like you and me! Amazingly, when I'm suffering, when you're suffering, God is not far off from us. Rather, because of the Gospel, God is very present to sufferers. The Gospel makes God's closeness to sufferers, like you and I, possible. If you've by grace trusted in Jesus' life, death and resurrection for the forgiveness of your sins, then you have been permanently brought near to God. He is now and will always be very near to you.

Amazingly, Psalm 46:1 informs us that God is more than merely near to you and I in times of trouble. Psalm 46:1 would remind us of 3 characteristics about our Present God that He graciously wants us to be informed about when we're suffering. Our Heavenly Father wants these specific characteristics to inform, correct, instruct our thinking about who He is in relation to us when we're experiencing times of trouble.

1. God is our very present refuge. If you're like me, when trouble comes I often respond by fleeing to the TV in hopes that it will give me peace, rest and comfort (distraction tactics). This is clearly a hopeless response. Where do you tend to flee when trouble comes? Psalm 46:1 would remind us that only real lasting peace, rest and comfort will be found in God. He is our very present shelter in times of trouble.
2. God is our very present strength. God's grace is the only means by which we will endure through suffering. When suffering, do you like me, ever feel unable to go on? Or feel battered and bruised from the spiritual battle that can ensue? Where do you instinctively tend to look for strength to go on? This verse would remind us that real strength is found in our very present God.
3. God is our very present help. God is ever faithful to sufferers like you and I. "...he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." (1Cor. 10:13 ESV) Psalm 46:1 would remind us that when times of trouble are tempting us to feel helpless, we have an ever present help in our God.

I would encourage you to keep a verse like Psalm 46:1 in your arsenal. God put Psalm 46:1 in our Bibles so that we could be reminded of these great truths when times of trouble come. Praise God who is our very present refuge, strength, and help in [times of] trouble!