Sermon notes from Sunday 5 January and Sunday 26 January 2014
Psalm 46
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
As we set out to another year no
matter what burdens, difficulties we can come back to this verse and take this
as our anchor. The author of this Psalm
is unknown. Some interesting features
about him. He lived through difficult
and trying days as he wrote this psalm - verses 2 and 3. This person witnessed something of the
marvellous work of God - verses 9 and 10.
He had first-hand experience of some of these things and has the
inspiration to pen them so that we might find comfort in these verses and be encouraged
and challenged through these words.
Notice here at the outset of the Psalm what he speaks of …
God’s person. Something that
interested me here is the first 2 words “God is”. To the Psalmist God was very real. This was not something mythical but someone
who filled his heart, soul and every part of him. From the moment he woke in the morning he
knew the power and presence of God walking with him. God is not someone to pick up on a Sunday
morning when you go to church, not someone who sits up on the top shelf of
cupboard that is lifted down from time to time when things are difficult. He is someone who went with him day by
day. The Psalmist David said in chapter
23 “I will fear no evil” for he knew the Lord was walking with him. Remember the 2 walking on the road to
Emmaeus. They had left behind the scene
of crucifixion, the tomb was empty and there was confusion in their minds. The Lord drew near and he went with
them. They realised the presence of God
drew near to them, going with them through dark and difficult times. That is the Saviour we have. No matter what difficulty we face we can be
sure the Saviour will draw near and go with us.
The Psalmist was giving an encouragement and challenge to put God first
over all other priorities. God can be
personal to us. “The fool has said in
his heart there is no God.” He has set
God aside, explains him away. When we
see the atrocities happening around the world we begin to question why it is
happening. Once we begin to leave him
out God has to try and get back into our lives.
Genesis 1 verse 1 “in the beginning God.” Simple and straight forward. Before him there was nothing else. He was always there in existence, step by
step right through creation. He filled
the heavens with stars and the moon and the seas with every fish. The Psalmist could say “my help cometh from
the Lord who made the heaven and the earth.”
He had no doubts about God or his person. Sometimes even believers have problems
listening to God and don’t know what to believe. The heavens declare the work of his
hands. They testify God is in
existence. He could see it through all
he saw around him. He put his title to
it. As we go out into this new year may
that be our motto. God is not something
to be set aside.
God’s protection. “refuge”
means something to flee to. When we see
that we know it speaks of something secure, safe from the presence of the
enemy. He had in his mind the cities of
refuge. When the Israelites came into
the land of Canaan God told them to make 6 cities of refuge, special places of
safety and security. If someone by
accident kills another person and if the city of refuge was close at hand to
flee to that is where he might be safe.
Maybe that is what the Psalmist had in mind. God is our refuge, a place to run to where we
can feel secure. The city of refuge was
only for the innocent. We have a Saviour
today who takes in the guilty. As we
come into the world we are guilty before God because we are sinners. We can never come to that place prepared for
us because of sin in our hearts. None
that defileth can enter in. Peter when
preaching to the elders in Jerusalem said “there is none other name given
amongst men under heaven whereby we must be saved.” The transaction must be done this side of
eternity. The only place is at the foot
of the cross. Though you be guilty you
can come to the Lord, repent of your sin, confess your sin to him, he will take
you in as his child and there you will find security from all the attacks of
the enemy. Is God your protection today?
Psalm 18 verses 1 – 17
“God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble.” Psalm
46 verse 1
“God is” = he is our
reality. “our refuge” something to run
to, to flee to when things get too difficult for us. “our strength, a very present help in
trouble.” When Martin Luther, the great
reformer who stood against the Roman Catholic church to try and put it down,
when he got into a time of discouragement would say to his friends “come let us
sing the 46th Psalm.” In
Psalm 45 he looked to his right hand and all of his friends forsook him but
there was someone he found could be near.
That strength hasn’t changed.
The source of this strength.
Psalm 18 verses 1 and 2. The God
of heaven is our strength today. God is
our help. “Trouble” covers everything
that will come against us. Somehow
couldn’t find better word that encompasses everything. Sometimes we worry about things. That is what God calls trouble. The fear of the unknown. God has found to be a present refuge. Men have proven it to be true down the
years. He is always there when ever
trouble comes. In times of health,
wealth, sickness and poverty he is there at all times. “Yea though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death I will fear no evil for the Lord is with me.” This is a true valley out in Israel. When you descend into that valley it gets
darker and darker, right down in the depths so pitch black you cannot see
anything. The Psalmist knew that valley
when he led his sheep down into it. It
is a spiritual valley. He knew that one
day he would have to walk through it.
The word “very” means exceedingly.
When the days grow dark where do we turn to? God is still our strength. He is there, the source of our strength. Psalmist could say “I love thee my strength,
my God, my refuge.” Philippians 4 verse
13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” In 2 Corinthians 12 Paul talked about his thorn
in the flesh. He got before God and
prayed thrice to the Lord and pleaded with him to take it away from his
life. The Lord said no I will not, in
your weakness you will be strong, I will renew your strength day by day. You might have to carry that thorn day by day
but you will receive strength to carry you.
Paul had to suffer what he thought was unanswered prayer to bring him to
the place where he knew God would strengthen him. Maybe God has to bring us to the same place
today. We draw from God the strength we
need for each day. Deuteronomy 33 verse
25 “as thy days so shall thy strength be.”
You will not prove God for tomorrow until it comes. God is our refuge and strength. Caleb could say “as yet I am strong this day
as I was in the days of Moses.” Joshua
40 verses 7 and 8. The story of Samson
in Judges – his strength was in God through his hair. When the woman Delilah cut off his hair he
rose up and went out as at other times but he hadn’t the strength this
time. “He wist not that the Lord was
departed from him.” He forgot the source
of his strength. Judges 16 verse
28. Samson prayed “Lord strengthen
me.” Let’s get back to the place where
we draw from God’s strength. Isaiah 40
verses 30 and 31 “even the youths shall faint and be weary and the young men
shall utterly fall But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary and
they shall walk and not faint.”
The secrecy of this strength.
Nehemiah 8 verse 10. That is what
we have to rely on. “Restore unto me the
joy of my salvation”. We don’t serve the
Lord out of tragedy, we serve him with love and there is joy from what he has
done. Imagine what he has done for your
soul. You will never be in a Christless
lost hell because Christ has settled that issue. All those who bow their knee will find him a
refuge and strength. When you are called
to go through the shadow of the valley of death he will be there. That is what the Lord has done for you
today. He gave himself on the cross of
Calvary that you should never die and be lost.
In Acts 14 when Paul was preaching in Antioch pandemonium broke out in
the streets. Verse 3. How much shame would we suffer today? If you were to be laughed at, mocked,
arrested, beaten would you rejoice that you were counted worthy to suffer for
Christ? Strength is evident in the times
that are hard. When facing those times
draw from this source and the secrecy of our strength should be
demonstrated. Don’t rely on your own
ability but God. Joshua took over the
leadership responsibility. God called
him to lead the people into the land of promise. A tremendous responsibility. God told him “be of good courage.” Is there something in front of you, a burden,
a task that worries you? God comes to
you and says “be strong, be of good courage.”
We need strength to go through it.
The secrecy of that strength is in the God of heaven not in your own
ability, your own wisdom. Allow God to
have his way in your life. “Be strong
and very courageous, observe to do all according to the law, all that Moses my
servant commanded thee to do.” Joshua 1
verses 6 and 7. We need that strength
today. Isaiah 41 verse 10.
The sufficiency of this strength.
It is there for a purpose. It
will suffice, will be there every time, enough for the occasion that you need. Remember the story in Genesis of Joseph chapter
46. Jacob comes to a realisation that
his son Joseph is not dead. For 20 years
he lived as though his son was dead. The
truth eventually did come out. This man
had done so much evil yet truth was sufficient.
Jacob is invited down to Egypt to meet his son. Only the strength of God kept that man
through all those years. When he heard
the news Joseph was not dead he said “I will go and see him.” Jacob was overjoyed. At Beersheba he offered sacrifices to God
just like his father and grandfather had done before him. He still has time for God. The God who helped him, strengthened him,
stood by him. As he waits before God he
says to him “fear not for I will take you down to Egypt and I will bring you
out of Egypt again.” God wouldn’t allow
his father Isaac to go down so why was he being allowed to go down? Maybe there is a step you need to take and
there is a fear about taking that step.
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