Psalm 46--I Declare!
1. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
To declare- is to
make clearly known; state or announce openly, formally, etc…to say positively
or emphatically…to state strongly ones opinion.
Oh what great advantage it is to us to start everything we
do with this declaration. Holding
nothing back, the psalmist establishes the ground-marker that will set the tone
for anything and everything he writes after this. To declare to the world and
to myself, “God is, God is refuge, and God is strength” is absolutely necessary
for a robust beginning to our day. Already my faith and trust are lifted.
Already I am watching whatever comes next shrink as my God gets bigger and
bigger. The problem with sinful thinking is, I get magnified and God
diminishes. The great thing about the Bible is, it keeps Him on the throne and
glorious, and me on my knees and beseeching Him.
The power of a solid declaration lifts my mind off of its
worry and onto His power. We have a saying in recovery, “As I focus on the
problem, the problem grows larger, but as I focus on the solution, the solution
grows larger.” Our God is our solution. Whenever someone comes to me and has a
problem that is weighing them down, all I usually do is redirect their thoughts
toward the One who has the solution. Like a good traffic sign I remind them of
the standard, of the declaration. If “God is!” is our declaration, then let’s
start everything right there.
Our writer here describes God as our refuge first. A refuge
is described as a person or thing that gives shelter, help, or comfort; a place
of safety. God is our place of safety. We can run to Him to be protected from
the dangers of this world. A
refuge is a place set aside for the safety and protection of a specific group.
A refuge is a place where we can grow, a place where we can thrive, and a place
where we can play without fear of danger. Our refuge is the Lord God Almighty.
Nothing escapes His attention. No, one or many, can stand against Him. Nobody
can snatch us from His grasp. We are safe in Him!
His strength is infinite. My strength pales in comparison to
say the least. The God who spoke and the universe came into existence, formed
man out of the dust of the ground, and breathed life into his nostrils, and it
was so, is our strength. The God who says to us, “Come to me all who are weary
and heavy laden, and I will give you rest for your souls.” The God who says,
“My power is made perfect in your weakness” is our strength. We are earthly
pots designed to carry heavenly treasures. I don’t know how He does it, but His
word says He can fill us, carry us, watch over us, walk with us, conceal us,
conform us, reason with us, lift us, humble us, teach us, and glorify us, as we
glorify Him. Who can fathom His strength and power? No one. But we are not
called to understand His strength; we are called to lean on it. Nothing can
separate us from Him.
“…A very present help in the time of trouble.”
Present- being at
the specified or understood place; at hand, in attendance.
Oh man, is that good or what? God, at this time, is being
described by our author to be right here, right now, on the scene. He is not a
God far away. He is not like the moon, just hanging around just out of reach,
aloof, dead, lifeless, and uncaring. He is present! He is vibrant. He is ready.
He already is…Not just a present help, but a very present help. Wow! What great joy it is to know that He is
here with us, and well able toward us.
This verse goes on to say, “…in the time of trouble.”
Our God is not afraid. He is not baffled. He is not hard to reach, especially
when we are in trouble and at our most ready to make a mistake or even make
things worse. When we panic, He is very present. When we are confused, He is
very present. When we are helpless and scared, He is very present. When we are
in trouble, He is very present. Oh thank you, Jesus that you are very present.
What is troubling you? Are you utilizing His presence? Let me
say it again, are you aware of His presence in your time of trouble? Write it on
your heart, write it on your memory, write it on your bathroom mirror if you
have to, but get it front of your face so often that it becomes your natural (supernatural)
default position. Declare it out loud everyday, and don’t forget to share it
with others. The Lord God Almighty is your daddy, and He is right here, very
present, anytime you need Him, especially if you are going through a time of
trouble.
To be continued…
