God is Our Refuge

Psalm 46

God’s Defense of His City and People

1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;

3 though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult.

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.

5 God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns.

6 The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.

7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord;
see what desolations he has brought on the earth.

9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;

he burns the shields with fire.
10 ‘Be still, and know that I am God!

I am exalted among the nations,

I am exalted in the earth.’
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our refuge.

REFLECTION:

Today, my heart is heavy with the burdens I know friends carry…family members carry…the nation carries.

My mind is drawn to the Psalm above

It’s the Psalm on which Luther based his famous hymn “A Mighty Fortress”
It’s also the Psalm that contains one of those few biblical passages that everyone knows…

“Be still and know that I am God.”

May we all put aside the divisions that are so easy when we are comfortable, well-fed, and safe…
the temptations to partisan bickering or election prognosticating… put all that away.

Be still.

Say a prayer for those whose daily lives feel like a war.
Say a prayer for your neighbors, and the invisible burdens they carry.

Be still.

Though the waters roar and foam, God has given us to each other. Seek refuge in community…
Allow others to seek refuge in you…
for the gifts of God often come wrapped in people.

Be still, and know that God’s love, tangible in our humble acts of kindness…
that love is a mighty fortress that will not be moved.

Be still…and know that God is in the midst of the city. It cannot be moved.
God will help it when the morning dawns.

Keep praying that God will help all those who need it today…and don’t be surprised when God asks you to be the answer to your own prayer.

PRAYER:

God, give us the courage to trust in your promise. You are in the midst of the city. You are in the midst of our lives. You are our rock and refuge. May we find shelter and strength in you today. Amen.