Psalm 46
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; He utters His voice, the earth melts. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Come, behold the works of the LORD, how He has brought desolations on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
He burns the chariots with 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 fortress. Selah (ESV)
Introduction
• God’s presence makes obedience and rest possible
• Psalm 46 addresses God’s people surrounded by chaos and threat
Central refrain:
“The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
The Structure of Psalm 46:
• Creation in chaos (vv. 1–3)
• Nations in turmoil (vv. 4–7)
• History under God’s sovereign rule (vv. 8–11)
1. God is Our Refuge when Creation itself Unravels (vv. 1–3)
1.1 God Himself is the Refuge
• God does not merely provide refuge; He is the refuge.
• Safety is found in nearness to God, not changed circumstances.
• God is immediately and personally present in trouble.
• God’s greatest gift to His people is Himself.
1.2 Fearlessness Rooted in Theology, not Circumstances
• Imagery of total cosmic collapse.
• “Therefore we will not fear” … fearlessness flows from God’s presence.
• Biblical courage rests on who God is, not on stability around us.
• Illustration: a child resting because the father is present.
2. God is with His People in the Midst of the City (vv. 4–7)
2.1 A Quiet River in a Chaotic World
• Shift from roaring seas to a life-giving river.
• The river symbolises God’s sustaining presence.
• God supplies joy and stability from within, even when chaos remains.
• The Church has peace within despite storms without.
2.2 God is in the Midst of Her
• “God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved.”
• Covenant and Emmanuel language: God with us.
• Nations rage, but the Church endures.
• The LORD of hosts reigns with absolute sovereignty.
• The Church’s endurance depends on God’s presence, not human strategy.
3. God is with us as the Sovereign King Over All the Earth (vv. 8–11)
3.1 God ends what we cannot
• God restrains and terminates evil and war.
• Human power is limited; God rules history.
• The fate of the world rests in God’s hands.
3.2 The Most Radical Command in the Psalm
• “Be still, and know that I am God.”
• A call to surrender control, not passivity.
• Faith rests as well as obeys.
3.3 The Final Refrain
• “The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
• Emphasis on grace: God is faithful to undeserving people.
Conclusion and Application
• God’s Presence is Greater than our Fear.
• God’s Presence is the Church’s Stability.
• God’s Presence Calls us Both to Obey and to Rest.
Final Exhortation
Whatever shakes, rages, or feels beyond control:
• God is our refuge and strength.
• The LORD of hosts is with us.
• Therefore, we need not fear.