Psalm 46, God Is Our Refuge
1. Choose To Trust God For Refuge (v1-3)
2. Find Refreshing Refuge In God’s Presence (v4-7)
3. Find Restful Refuge In God’s Work (v8-11)
Psalm 46, God Is Our Refuge
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As we look at Psalm Chapter 46 this evening, I've titled the Message God is our refuge three times in this Psalm the Psalmist makes reference to God as our refuge, and so we want to plunder that this evening and allow ourselves to consider what it means for us.
And what that looks like for us in our lives, to put God as our refuge, to have the benefit as God as our refuge.
And so this Psalm is divided into 3 parts.
By the word Cela and the word Cela is believed to be a kind of a musical term to pause, and perhaps here would be kind of a instrumental solo or a just like quieting down of the instruments for a little bit and and allowing time to reflect.
On the words that have just been sung in the Psalm, and so we will kind of follow suit with that and divide up our portion this evening into those three parts looking at these different segments that have been divided for us to help us consider God as our.
Refuge, and so we're going to start in verses one through 3 for the first point, and that is choose to trust God for refuge.
And I want to encourage you this evening to make a deliberate choice and choose.
To trust God, to allow God to be your refuge by putting your faith and your trust.
In him now the psalmist starts out in verse one with a very clear and direct statement of the fact that God is.
Our refuge in verse one again it says God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
And this verse has a lot of depth to it and some great things to meditate on.
Again, the psalmist says God is our refuge and the idea of a refuge is a place of safety.
Protection and security.
It's a stronghold.
It's a safe place and and God is the one who has.
Declared the responsibility that he has to be the refuge for his people, that our protection, our safety, our security, is to be centered in, and to be bound up in God and nothing else.
God is our refuge and strength.
Are to be those who.
In the protection of God in our lives, and so the psalmist here begins.
Reflecting on this idea, God is our refuge.
He's the one who.
Takes care of us.
Now we don't know a lot of the details about the context of this song. Most commentators and Bible teachers will suggest that this Psalm is written right around the time where in Hezekiah's Day you might remember where the Assyrian army was coming against Jerusalem.
And there was severe threats going on, and it looked like Assyria was going to be victorious and conquering the nation of Judah.
But Isaiah the Prophet kept telling Hezekiah, do not fear trust the Lord right.
And remember, that's when Hezekiah went and spread out the letter before the Lord.
In the in the the temple and just you know presented the whole situation.
That letter from the king of Assyria and all of the the claims, and the attacks and the threats that were there.
And then it were told that in one night an Angel of the Lord went through the camp of the Assyrian army and took out 185,000 of the Assyrian soldiers.
And so they went home, defeated, and so that is one possible context for the writing of this song, where the the Psalmist is saying God is our refuge.
And and some of the verses as you walk through them.
You know you can kind of relate to the children of Israel or the the nation of Judah looking over the walls of Jerusalem and seeing that they are no longer threatened and how God has protected them.
But of course we don't have to only rely upon that one case, right?
It wasn't just that one time.
Remember that one time in all of history where God protected his people.
We have found in our own lives and I would suggest that every one of us has occasions to look back on where we have seen God proven to be our refuge and strength.
Throughout our life that he is the one who has protected us, he is the one who has kept us safe.
He is the one who has been a security for us and that continues to be the case, and so we're reminded this evening of the fact of the reality that God is our refuge.
With the picture of a stronghold.
You know you could kind of think.
About it this way, how?
Beneficial is a stronghold if you leave it right like so.
If the enemy is threatening and you're in the stronghold, then you're protected and you're safe and there's great security there but but if you run out the back and you know try to go do something else, then your stronghold is secure, it's.
See if it's there and it it's going to hold up in the midst of the attack, but having left the stronghold well, you put yourself in a place of.
Great vulnerability and so it's interesting for us to consider this that God is our refuge and strengthened, and that is the reality that is the truth and and yet we would also understand that there is a part that we have to play in staying within the stronghold and continuing to trust.
God for the safety and security and protection that he wants to provide.
And as long as we're in the stronghold, well then we can know for sure.
For certain without a shadow of a doubt that we are safe and there's so many promises of God that speak about him working good on our behalf, and him protecting us and him delivering us it.
It all centers around this.
Idea of God being our refuge and strength.
He goes on to say a very present help or yeah, very present help in trouble.
And I really like.
The the phrase of this.
A very present help in trouble.
God is not just help in trouble.
He's not just present in trouble.
He is very present.
A very present help in trouble and this is not just.
Exaggeration, right?
But but this word very is in the text.
It's in the original.
It means to be great, to be abundant, to have the idea of exceedingly.
And I just like that connected.
To the word present.
It's not just that God is abundantly helpful and that that's true, of course.
He has more help to give than we need, although we don't often feel that way right, but we always feel like we need more than God giving us but.
God has more help to give than than we need.
He has more strength to give than than we need.
But but here it's speaking specifically about his presence.
He is a very present help.
In trouble, and it really speaks to the idea that the understanding that God is not just with us, he is with us.
He's not just around.
He is all around, you know he's he's not just kind of dipping his toes in the water or or lightly engaged in the things that we're going through in times of trouble.
God is a very present.
Help, his presence is exceeding abundant, especially in those times of trouble.
God is our refuge and strength.
We have his presence.
We have him with us and so we have all that we need to face.
The situations that are before us.
Well then in verse two he goes on to say, therefore we will not fear.
Even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst.
Of the sea.
Verse two starts with the word therefore.
And in this.
Context, it's really a decision word.
Therefore, we will not fear.
Sometimes, therefore, is, uh, conclusion of an argument, right?
And and this is the conclusion of an argument, but but the conclusion is, we're going to take action.
We are going to deliberately make a choice.
And choose not to fear.
Because God is our refuge and strength.
And in times of trouble he is abundantly present.
He is exceedingly present.
He's right there in the midst of it.
Sometimes it feels like in the midst of trouble.
God is a far off and he's trying to get here as soon as he can.
He's on his way.
You know.
There's just a little bit of traffic and and hold out was just a little bit longer.
He he'll be here soon, right?
But but the the reality that the Bible teaches is that God is very present.
He hasn't left nor forsaken us, he hasn't abandoned his people.
Even when we feel like he has.
The truth is that he has not.
And so understanding the truth, God is our refuge and strength.
Understanding the truth that God is very present.
To help in times of trouble.
I will choose.
I will deliberately decide not to fear.
Looking at all the factors.
Drawing a conclusion and deciding to take action, I don't know if you ever watched that show Shark Tank where businesses come in and pitch their ideas, and there's kind of fun interactions that happen between the businesses and the invest.
Matters and one of the reasons or one of the things that happens often.
One of the things that they say often is the investors will hear you know the pitch and they'll walk through it, and they'll say, you know, I don't like this about it.
I don't like this about it.
I don't like that about it.
And for that reason I'm out.
Like adding up all these things, here's my decision.
Here's the choice.
I'm not going to invest in this.
In a similar way as we add up all the realities right, God is our refuge.
God is our strength.
He is very present to help in times of trouble, therefore not I'm out.
I'm in.
I'm going to trust God and not fear.
No matter what, and the psalmist really goes on to explore the idea of no matter what, even though the earth be removed.
Now of course.
There is some exaggeration happening here, as the psalmist is speaking, right?
There's poetic dramatization.
Even though the earth be removed and the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.
You can look at this and understand like there's a a great imagination here.
Imagining the unimaginable mountains being moved into the midst of the sea.
And so you could understand that psalmist is using hyperbole to paint this picture and say, even if things were so bad, you couldn't even imagine them.
They were so bad.
Therefore, we will not fear, but there's another side of this because of course, as we look to the things that God has promised and prophesied, the earth will be removed.
The Earth is not permanent, right?
And and the mountains will be carried into the midst of the sea like you look at the Book of Revelation.
And the tribulation period, like these things will happen.
And so it's not just exaggeration.
It's not just hyperbole for, you know, painting a dramatic picture.
It also can be understood literally that we have the option to choose not to fear even.
What's that mountain range right here guys?
Well OK skyline and divides Orange County from theirs.
No, no, the mountain range where there's the radio station on.
Top and then.
The Cleveland National Forest.
Thank you, yes, so that's picked up and thrown into the Pacific right now that would be dramatic for us because we would have quick access to Orange County and the traffic would be really reduced, right?
But if that were to happen like that's not, it's not even really feasible for us to imagine.
What that would look like?
What what would that look like if that mountain was lifted up and thrown into the sea?
But even if that were to happen.
Choose to trust God.
For refuge.
And God would be your refuge.
He would be your strength, and he would be very present.
For whatever trouble you would be in in the midst of that situation.
He continues on it.
Exploring that in verse three, though its waters roar and be troubled.
Though the mountains shake.
With its swelling, Selah.
Even if there is roaring waters, mountains shaking great earthquakes.
Catastrophic events taking place.
We have the option.
It is a choice.
He says, therefore we will not fear.
We choose to trust God as our refuge.
Now, whether or not we.
Choose to trust God for strength.
God has the strength that we need, right?
Whether or not we choose to trust him for refuge.
Whether or not.
We feel his presence.
He is present.
And so there is the idea that we can.
Kind of be in the same situation, the same circumstance and not benefit.
From the truths that are found here, that God is our refuge and strength and.
A very present help in trouble.
That we don't benefit from it in the sense that.
We're shaking and we're fearful and we're freaked out and we're stressed out and we're worried and and all because.
We don't believe.
The realities that have been presented to us God is our refuge and strength.
And so we need to hit the.
Therefore we need to believe God at his word that he is with us.
And no matter what mountains shake in our lives, no matter what mountains are removed, you know those big things, those things that you thought would never be removed from your life.
Those things that you thought would never change would never be different that they were so firmly established like the Cleveland National Forest, right?
Like it's just boom, it's there. It's you can count on that 500 years from now you can count on that being there. You expect it to be there for your kids and their grandkids and their grandkids, right? Like like.
That's gonna be there.
It's a given.
But then sometimes those things that we think are so solid.
Are removed.
And suddenly
There's not the job to go to.
Suddenly there's not the you know, financial security that we thought we had.
Suddenly, you know that.
Mountain is removed.
But God hasn't moved.
He is our refuge and strength, a very present help.
In trouble therefore.
We will not fear, we choose.
To trust God for refuge.
Pastor Charles Spurgeon says.
God alone is our All in all.
All other refuges are refuges of lies.
All other strength is weakness.
For power belongeth unto God.
But as God is all sufficient, our defence and might.
Are equal to all.
Anything else we would trust in?
Anything else we would place our confidence in and seek refuge in anything else is a lie.
It promises safety.
It promises security.
It promises to protect us.
But it cannot protect US insurance policies.
Retirement plans you know all of those things presidents, governors.
Armies, nations, they all promise all kinds of things.
But none of them.
Are worthy of our trust.
None of them are real refuge.
God alone is our All in all.
He is the one that we can trust in.
He is the one.
That we can rest in.
Now the end of verse three there has that word Selah.
It's the.
Stop, pause, reflect.
On these things, and so we're gonna do that, and I'll pick up my guitar again and walk us through some worship and let's allow the Lord to minister to our hearts.
Let's use this time.
To re kind of evaluate the things that we've been trusting in.
Recognizing God is our refuge.
Recognizing who he is.
What he's promised, what he can do.
And making the deliberate choice therefore.
We will not fear.
Let's choose to trust God for refuge.
They're 46.
We come now to versus 4 through 7 for point #2.
And that is find refreshing refuge in God's presence.
As we choose to trust God for refuge.
We can expect to find.
A refreshment of refreshing that comes.
From the presence of God, and so let's read verses 4 through 7.
Verse four says 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.
Hear the psalmist.
Makes mention of a river.
A river that will make glad the city of God and so here the psalmist is speaking about Jerusalem.
For a little bit.
And again, perhaps the context for this is that attack by the Assyrians upon.
The City of Jerusalem and the nation of Judah.
Perhaps it was another attack.
But the idea here is that under this distress that the City of God is in distress and the people of God in the city are in distress and and there's a thirst.
That they are experiencing.
There's a desperation.
There's a a dryness that they're looking for, and so the psalmist here speaks about this.
River that is to come this river that can be expected and can be looked forward to and that will bring joy.
To the city, to the people of God there is a river.
Now this is a little bit interesting to consider because.
Geographically speaking, Jerusalem had no river.
A lot of ancient cities were built on rivers or next to rivers had rivers very prominent in their location.
Because of course water was and is an essential part of life, and so it was really hard for people if they didn't have this constant fresh inflow of water.
Now there was a couple sources of water around Jerusalem, and in King Hezekiah's Day he actually dug a trench underneath the ground to to be able to get a spring and and get some water into Jerusalem in the time.
Of siege.
It was kind of a hack, right? Like I mean, it was a brilliant act of engineering and if you actually go to Israel today, you can actually walk through Hezekiah's Tunnel and it's it's quite amazing they dug it from both ends and met in the middle.
And it's quite a feat.
Jerusalem itself had no river.
And yet here the psalmist is saying there is a river, whose streams shall make glad the city of God.
Now we can think about the literal water need for the city, but also understand that as he's talking about a river making glad the city of God, he's he's talking about the refreshing.
The picture of water being refreshing the picture of water being the source of life and and providing needs.
This river he's speaking about is not just about water, but also recognizing that.
In the midst of.
Difficulty and chaos and great dramatic trial.
There is that forward looking hope.
That God will refresh.
But there is that promise of that river, that fresh work of God, that is to come, that will bring joy through the midst of difficulty and hardship and sorrow.
Now that's true prophetically.
As you look forward in what God has spoken about in Ezekiel Chapter 47 as Ezekiel is describing that temple that will be there in the Millennium.
There is a river that comes out from the presence of God in the midst of the temple and flows out of Jerusalem.
It hits the Dead Sea and everything comes to life and and there is this incredible refreshing river that is prophesied there in Ezekiel chapter 47.
You can look further ahead. Revelation chapter 22.
There is a river of life that is prophesied about in chapter 22, verses one and two of revelation.
The apostle John says he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and the land.
And it speaks about this river feeding the tree of life.
Which would bear fruit and yield the fruit among the people every month of the year.
Every season there would be.
The different fruits and the fresh fruit.
And so the river speaks of that.
That production of life.
And so you can look at it and think about the physical water situation in Jerusalem.
But also you can picture.
That idea of refreshing.
Promise you know that God has given.
You can look prophetically at the temple at the eternity and understand that there is going to be this constant source.
Of joy and refreshing and provision from God.
And so we have all.
That to look.
Forward to but.
There's a couple other things I think we can consider.
There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God.
Think about Psalm chapter one.
Picturing the Blessed man or woman.
Who is meditating on the word of God day and night?
And they are planted.
Like a tree next to the rivers of water.
Where there's this constant source.
Of nourishment and refreshment and provision.
For the tree, for the one who is planted in the word of God.
So that.
What happens to the tree?
The tree bears fruit in its season, and it shall not wither.
And so there is this connection here that that the river whose streams shall make glad the city of God.
There's a little.
Bit of a hint for perhaps for us to consider and remind ourselves of and re-evaluate our relationship with the word of God.
Especially in times of calamity and difficulty.
Making our refuge in God also involves investing ourselves in the word of God.
Where we will be continually refreshed and where those times of droughts and difficulty our leaves will not wither because our roots.
Have gone down deep into the river of water.
There's another aspect that we can consider too.
And that is.
Based on what Jesus spoke in, John Chapter 7 very familiar passage to us.
Because it's where we get the name for our church living water.
Jesus on the last day, the great day of the feast.
He stood up and he said, if anybody is thirsty.
Let him come to me and drink.
He believes as the scripture said, rivers of living water shall flow out of his heart.
And it goes on to tell us in John Chapter 7, verse 39.
By that Jesus was speaking about the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit that those who believed in him would receive.
And so we can understand.
This picture of a river.
And we can.
Evaluate it physical water situation in Jerusalem.
We can think.
About the future prophecies of the the water in in Jerusalem and out of the throne of God.
But we can also think about and understand.
There is a refreshing refuge that we can find in the word of God.
And there is a refreshing refuge that we can find.
In the filling of the Holy Spirit, the empowering of the Holy Spirit in our lives and enjoying fellowship with God through the spirit.
Right?
Walking in the spirit and not according to the lust of the flesh that that there is this refreshing that we can have in the midst of hardship and difficulty.
And where you know we're really aware of our need for God is our refuge, the word of God and the Holy Spirit.
Are refreshing to our hearts refreshing to our lives.
And so we can sing the song.
I've got a river of life flowing out of me right like even in the midst of the challenges and the difficulties and the trials that we face.
We there's a river.
We're not dry out.
We're not in the desert.
We have the word of God.
We have the Holy Spirit indwelling within.
And we can find a refreshing there.
A refuge in God's presence.
Notice he goes on to say verse five.
God is in the midst of her.
She shall not be moved.
God shall help her just at the break of.
Talking about the city of Jerusalem, God is in the midst of her now.
That's where the Tabernacle was moved to.
The temple was built there in Jerusalem and so literally God was in the midst of her because God promised to meet with the people of Israel between the wings.
Of the cherubim, they're above the Ark of the Covenant inside the temple.
Inside Jerusalem, right, there was a a very literal, real sense to God is in the midst of her.
God was present in Jerusalem.
And so.
She shall not be moved.
You can look ahead prophetically.
Scripture tells us that all of the world is going to be against Jerusalem.
But God will be her refuge, and God will defend Jerusalem, and there's going to be the the mighty magnificent, amazing works of God that happen as a result of that and, and she shall not be moved.
God will help her.
Notice it says at the end they're just at.
The break of dawn.
When it looks like.
The night's just going to continue forever.
When it seems the most hopeless.
It seems like.
Help is never going to come.
Just at the break of dawn.
God's going to help.
When so many have lost hope because it just seems like it's past due over time, impossible to recover from.
At the break of Dawn, God is going.
To help her.
Now it's Speaking of Jerusalem, and we can reflect on that.
There's powerful truths, but as we reflect on that, of course, we understand that there is some direct personal application to us that God is in our midst and he is promised.
To never leave us, and nor nor forsake us.
And so we can look at this and be reminded of the things that God has said.
We shall not be moved.
No matter if the mountains are moved and the earth quakes around us, and you know all of that, no, we can't be moved.
When God is our refuge.
And and yes, we go through difficult situations, but our God will help us and sometimes it feels like.
The night is just going to continue forever, but there is going to be that break of dawn.
And God will show up, and it may feel like it's too late for us from our perspective, but it's always at just.
The right time.
Charles Spurgeon says we are slow to meet him.
But he is never tardy in helping us.
We are often slow to meet God.
But he's never late showing up for us.
He's never late.
His plans are perfect.
His timing is perfect.
It very often doesn't feel that way.
There's a saying that God is.
Seldom early, but never late.
Very rarely does it happen where I was like, whoa, God, you did that so early he did that so fast you know he did that like before I was thinking about it or asking for it happens.
You remember the occasion where the servant of Abraham is praying and he's praying for direction for helping to to find the wife for Isaac.
As he finishes the prayer, then Rebecca shows up right like that was early.
That was perfect, right?
We have those examples, and perhaps we.
Have those examples in our lives.
They seldom.
Right God's time.
Timing is usually not our timing.
But that doesn't mean that he is not helping.
He is going to help at the right time.
The dawn will break and versuchs.
He says the nations raged.
The kingdoms were moved.
He uttered his voice.
The earth melted.
This idea of God as our refuge.
Is the reality is the truth it's the truth for Jerusalem.
Even if all the nations of the world rage and want something different.
Even if all the kingdoms moved together.
Against the people of God.
All God needs to do is.
Utter his voice and the earth just melts.
Reminded me of what we went through a few weeks back in Psalm Chapter 2.
The nations of raging and plotting of anything and just trying so desperately to overthrow the plan of God too.
Put to death the plan of God, and to do what we want to do.
As humanity.
But that's not going to happen.
God is not challenged no matter how many of us link arms and say in defiance, you know, we will not submit to you.
He's not challenged.
He just utters his voice.
And the earth melts before him.
Verse 7 the Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge, Selah.
The Lord of.
Hosts the Lord of the armies of Heaven is the idea there of the Lord of hosts.
The Lord of the armies of heaven.
Is with us.
He's with us on our side for us.
The God of Jacob is our refuge.
Now in these verses.
Again, they're grouped together because.
Of the interlude that happened at the end of verse 3 and then now the interlude that happens at the end of verse 7.
So these verses are grouped together, and as you look at verses 4 through 7, there's a a theme that is.
Prominent and that is the presence of God.
In verse 4.
It's referring to the holy place of the Tabernacle of the most high.
The Tabernacle was.
The presence of God.
It was where God met with the people and the people met with God.
And so there's the presence of God there.
In verse four and verse 5.
God is in.
The midst of her.
And so there is the presence of God spoken of in verse 5 and then verse 7 the Lord of hosts is with us.
And so there is this refuge that's found in conjunction with the presence of God.
And and and that can be understood in just the general sense of that God is with us, and he's on our side, and he's for us.
But I would also encourage you to consider.
Spending time in the presence of God spending time devoted to God.
Having your.
Attention on God.
Intentionally deliberately.
Having some time set aside for God.
Can bring such refreshing refuge.
In the midst of challenges and difficulties, the raging battles that happen in our head, the heavyweights.
That we find upon our hearts.
Entering into the presence of God, spending some time with him in worship.
Seeking him in prayer.
Again, diving into.
That stream there is a river right there.
The word of God.
And the presence of the Holy Spirit, the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
There is a refreshing refuge that we can find.
Many times in the midst.
Of great challenges where our minds are racing and and you know the the stress level is so high.
We can have a hard time.
Entering into the presence of God.
We can have a hard time devoting some time.
To spend with God because there's.
So much to do and so much to worry about, right?
And so our hearts remain stressed.
Our minds remain cluttered.
Dried out.
But there is a refreshing.
For those who will spend some time in the.
Presence of God.
To be washed and restored.
Like that fresh water that comes in a dry land, you know or that that dying tree that's just thirsty for water and and then you bring forth a little bit of water and it's like.
So refreshing starts to turn green immediately like things start to change, life begins to flow once again.
For us, the presence of God does that kind of work in us.
We're refreshed and it can be hard.
To sit down right, I'm sure you experience it.
You try to sit down and then the phone rings.
Some event happens, right?
There's there's always those challenges.
But if we will overcome those hurdles.
And get into that devoted time with God.
Talking with God walking with God.
We will find a refreshing refuge in his presence. Pastor Thomas Constable says the Lord's presence.
Indwelling his own people should inspire trust.
And confidence.
No external calamity or hostile adversary can overthrow the place where the Lord of Armies resides.
If you're residing with the Lord of hosts.
There's nothing.
There's nothing that can challenge that.
There's nothing that.
Can overthrow that.
Again, we don't always feel that way.
I'm not talking about how we feel about things.
But that is the truth.
And when we feel like.
God's word and work is being overthrown when we're stressed out and maxed out and all of that.
How desperately we need to be refreshed.
In the presence of God.
And so let's take some time.
Again, at the end of verse seven is the word Selah let's.
Stop and spend some time in the Lord's presence.
I would encourage you to enter in to call out to him to pray to talk through what you're going through.
And invite the Lord.
To refresh you.
As you set your attention and devotion on him.
All right, Restful refuge in God's work. Here's what it says in verses 8 through 11.
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.
Here in these final verses.
The psalmist calls us to behold the works of the Lord.
He says, come, behold, like, come, I want to show, you, come here, I want to show you.
Some of the things that God has.
Done now if it is the case.
As many believe that this song was written on the occasion of that.
Work that God did for the children of Israel on the Assyrian army.
You can kind of envision and picture that idea of calling people to come and look there is the battlefield.
With the enemy destroyed.
While Jerusalem Judah
Did not actually engage in the battle.
There was the work of the Lord that happened.
The threat of war was great.
But verse 9 says he makes wars cease to the end of the Earth.
You know, there's those times where it just seems like.
It's inevitable there's going to be the war.
There's going to be the battle.
There's going to be the defeat.
And yet God is able in the span of a moment to radically change the whole situation.
And to destroy all the weapons of the enemy.
He says he breaks the bow.
He cuts the spear.
He burns the Chariots in the fire.
You remember the heritage of the children of God?
No weapon formed against you shall prosper.
This is your heritage.
There is no weapon that can be fashioned.
No weapon that can be wielded, no strategy, no tactic that can come against you and prosper.
It is a little bit of a challenge for us because sometimes it feels like.
We tried to block but the weapon made it through and we're.
Injured by it.
We experience.
Difficult to your affliction, and it feels like the weapon.
Has prospered.
But it's not the truth.
Because if we believe God at his word.
He works all things together for good to those who love God and are the called according to his purpose.
Then that supposed injury.
Although it is injurious at the time.
It turns out for good.
So the weapon did not prosper in what it was attempting to do in defeating the plan of God in destroying the work of God.
Instead, the weapon of the enemy furthered the work of God.
As God accomplished the good that he wanted to accomplish in the midst.
Of the situation.
So we can look at this and understand again.
Picturing Israel and picturing real battles that are going on, but also putting ourselves.
In the promises here, putting ourselves in the promises that are given to.
US throughout the scriptures.
There's a case for us to behold.
The works of the world.
To go back and think through some of the things that God has done.
And so we've been thinking about the example of the Assyrian army against Israel.
Another occasion that this kind of stood up in my mind to think about is when Jesus calmed the storm.
When it says he makes wars cease to the end of the earth, I don't know why that just triggered.
In my mind, that picture of Jesus on the Sea of Galilee with his disciples, the storm is so raging that the disciples fear for their lives while Jesus is sleeping.
On the boat.
And they wake him up.
Jesus, don't you care?
We're gonna die here in this storm.
In Mark Chapter 4, verse 39, it tells us that Jesus arose.
Rebuked the wind.
And said to the sea, peace.
Be still.
And the wind ceased, and there was a great.
I think we can all relate Pastor.
Or chaplain however you want to label him Vic Dominguez, right, shared about this part of the example of the Ministry of Jesus and the the storm and having your eyes fixed on Jesus, we can all relate to those times where.
The storm around us is really tempting us to take our eyes.
Off of the.
Lord to see the wind to see the waves and to see the the challenges.
And there is great reason for us to fear as we pay attention to those things.
When we fix our eyes on the Lord.
He says peace.
Be still.
You know when Peter cried out to the Lord?
That time when he was sinking.
The storm was then calmed as Jesus brought him into the boat.
There was.
The wind and the waves that Peter was seeing that were freaking him.
Out right, but but then the.
Storm has calmed literally, but then also.
Speaking about what was happening in Peter.
There was a storm inside of him as he was freaking out, fearful of the wind and the waves.
But the grasp of Jesus.
Calmed the storm on the outside and on the inside.
On this occasion here in Mark Chapter 4.
This wasn't.
Them walking on the water.
It was just them crossing over to the other side.
But here was another storm.
They feared for their lives.
And Jesus said, peace.
Be still.
Vernon McGee talking about this as.
Christ was in a storm with his disciples and he went to sleep.
When they roused him from his sleep, he had more trouble calming the disciples.
Then he had calming the storm.
Many of us are like those men.
We don't know what it is to wait patiently.
For him.
Isn't that interesting to think about?
Peace be still Jesus says to the waters.
And the waters.
Are immediately subject to submitted to.
They believe Jesus at his word, and they.
To rage.
And there's still.
Jesus looks at us and says peace be still and we go, but have you seen this?
And did you know about that?
And I still want to do that and there's this other thing.
And boy, they're going to get it.
You know, like there's there's so much raging within still.
It's easier for thelord.com.
The craziest storm.
Many times then.
For us to be calmed at the word of the Lord, and to actually have peace.
And be still.
But God intends for us to rest.
In his promises in his word, in his presence, God intends for us to rest.
To have peace.
And to be still verse 10 be still.
And know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations.
I will be exalted.
In the earth.
Be still.
Don't move.
Don't get to work.
There are many times where God calls us.
To get to work.
And of course as God calls.
US to that, then we need to do that.
Sometimes God calls us to step out of the boat onto the sea, right and.
We need to do that, but sometimes we just.
Need to be still and sit in the boat.
To be still in the reality and the truth.
That he is God.
This idea of being still is attached to the knowledge.
That he is God.
In other words, the idea of being still here is don't try to resolve things on your own apart from God.
Be still.
And know that I am God.
If I tell you to do something, then do it.
If I don't tell.
You to do something, then don't do it.
And know that I'm God and I know it's best and I have your best interests at heart and you can trust me.
I'm going to be exalted among the nations.
Listen if you trusted in God and he failed you, he would not be exalted among the nations.
But that's not going to happen.
God will be exalted.
Every decision he has ever made will.
Be proven to.
Be the best decision, the right decision.
Every action he's ever taken will be proven to be the best action, the right action, every.
You know justice he's ever brought will be proven to be real justice.
True justice the the right course.
God will be exalted, he will be identified and recognized.
As God.
And again, we can look into.
The far future for that.
Look to the return of Jesus.
We can look at, you know, the time where we all stand before God.
Philippians chapter 2.
Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
To the glory of God the father.
He will be exalted in that day when every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ.
Is Lord.
God says you can.
You can calm down, be still.
That's going to happen.
No matter what you do and you try to, you know, accomplish something on your own.
God saying, I don't need you.
For that day to happen.
Your efforts.
That is the matter.
Be still.
And know that I am God.
I don't need your solutions.
I don't need your strategies.
I need you to be still.
To listen when I speak.
To trust me, when I set a course.
And to obey me when I say be still.
Warren Brisby says to be still literally means take your hands off and relax.
Take your hands off.
He says we like to be hands on people and manage our own lives, but God.
Is God and we are but his servants.
We want our hands on.
Many times.
That old picture.
Of Jesus, take the wheel right, but then we take the wheel back.
The common adage problem with the living sacrifice is the sacrifice keeps getting down off of the altar right we.
We make the choice to be still.
And then we rage.
And then we get worked up and we rush into action without.
Hearing from the Lord and knowing what he wants and so.
We need this reminder.
To come back.
And find rest.
Jesus said my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
There's a rest if.
If you're we read in your soul, Jesus.
Said come to me.
Find rests for your soul.
Find rest.
For you internally, as you face the things of this life, find rest by coming to Jesus.
Look at his past work.
The Syrians you can think about Jehoshaphat, right?
God told them you're not going to have to fight in this battle, and so then they appointed worshippers, and they, the worshippers, went ahead of the army, and as they went down, they got to the battlefield.
They found that the battle had already been won.
They were moving, marching, but they were being still.
In their hearts, trusting God, they put the worshippers in advance because they knew.
God said this.
Look at the works.
That God has done.
Let it remind you that he is God.
Verse 11 the Lord of hosts is with us.
This is a repeat.
A duplicate of verse 7.
The Lord of all the heavenly armies.
Is with us.
The God of Jacob.
Is our refuge.
Stop and think about that. He says Cela find Restful refuge in God's work. I want to finish by just reading these familiar verses to us, but.
Very appropriate for us thinking about our rest and our refuge in God.
Romans chapter 8.
Verses 28 through 31 says this.
And we know that all things work together for good.
To those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose.
For whom he foreknew?
He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son.
That he might be the first born among many brethren.
Moreover whom he predestined?
These he also called.
Whom he called these he also justified.
Whom he justified these he also glorified.
What then shall we say to these things?
If God is for us.
Who can be against us?
What can you say to this?
If God is for us.
If he has promised to work all things together for good.
He's for us.
He wants what's best for us.
He's working.
For our benefit.
If verse 29 God foreknew you and pre destined you to be conformed to become like Jesus.
And God is working to that end in your life to make you more like him and to build his nature and character into you. If God's doing that in your life, who?
Can be against you.
Who can defeat the plan of God to make you more like Jesus?
Who can defeat the plan of God to work all things together for good?
If you are his, he says.
Whom he predestined these he called, whom he called, he justified whom he justified he glorified.
So if God predestined and called, and justified and glorified so certain, this future state of yours, that it's set in the past tense, you're not glorified.
Yet no matter what you think, when you look in the mirror, right, you're not glorified yet, but it's so certain that you will be glorified, it's.
In the past tense.
And God predestine and called and justified and glorified you.
Who can be against you?
Who can defeat that final glory of God in you?
Who can UN justify you and take back that work?
Have got nobody.
What then shall we say to?
These things
If God is for us, who can be against us?
God is our refuge.
We can rest in him we can trust in him.
He's proven himself in his previous works.
His presence is refreshing to us.
Let's choose.
To trust God for refuge, let's pray, Lord.
We thank you.
That you.
Although you are.
The creator.
And completely.
Not in need of anything that we can offer.
Yet, Lord, you've chosen to take an interest in us.
To work in our lives to promise.
Great things.
Well, we have a refuge in you and Lord.
We don't always.
Experience the benefit of that as we run up the back end.
Are not still that try to handle things and put our hands on things and manage it ourselves and figure out our own plans and purposes.
We find ourselves in the midst of.
Storms and battles and stresses.
I pray God that you would remind us.
But you're a refuge.
Even if the mountains around us, even if those certain things, those absolute.
Guaranteed things that we think in our own minds.
Even if those go away, Lord you.
Will not leave us nor forsake us.
You are the only thing that.
Is certain in our lives.
You're the only thing that is for sure.
The only one who will stand by us and be with us.
Help us God.
To choose to trust you for refuge.
As we look to you God, I pray for each one of us.
That you would bring forth.
That refreshing river.
Your word.
And your spirit.
But would you Minister to our hearts?
Bring life Lord, where there's just the the dryness and the doubts and the decay.
Restore and Renew I pray.
As we look to you and make.
You our refuge once again.
And God, I pray.
As we do that, you would also give us rest.
Would where there's the?
Great burdens that we carry.
Wake up and.
Have such heavy weights on our chests and on our shoulders, and getting through the day is just so challenging and difficult and pressing through the nights Lord is just a great battle and so hard and just so tired.
But may we come?
Back to you as our refuge.
Help us God to see your work.
To remember.
You're on the throne, you know what's best?
And you're working to accomplish it.
So Lord, teach us to be still.
And to find the rest.
The recovery.
The restoration that happens.
When we let you be God, when we.
Let you make the decisions.
When we let you.
Roll and rain in our lives.
Thank you God.
That you provide yourself.
As this kind of refuge for us.
May we take full advantage of it seeking you?
With all of our heart loving you.
With our soul mind in strength.
I pray this in Jesus name.