God is our refuge and strength
Psalms 46:1-3 - With strong faith in God, there is no reason to fear anything.
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”
Psalms 46:1-3 NIV
What scares you the most? In this psalm, there are some pretty bad things going on — “the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea”. Yikes! Yet we are reassured that we shouldn’t fear this, as “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Let’s take a look into these three verses of Psalm 46…
This psalm, like many in the Book of Psalms, starts with a preamble. In this case, it is “To the chief musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A song for Alamoth.” The sons of Korah were Levites from the family of Kohath, who were involved in the music played during temple worship. Levites, of course, were descended from Levi, one of the twelve sons of Jacob and had responsibility over aspects of worship in the tabernacle and (eventually) temple.
So who, or what, is Alamoth (Ancient Hebrew עֲלָמוֹת or ʿălāmôṯ)? Bible scholars disagree, with some thinking it had to do with young women (possibly sopranos) singing, while others speculate that it was a high-pitched string instrument. Regardless of the definition, this psalm is a song showing confidence in God’s protection and power.
Psalm 46 was apparently a favorite of Martin Luther. 17th century theologian John Trapp said “Luther, when in greatest distress, was wont to call for this psalm, saying, ‘Let us sing the forty-sixth psalm in concert; and then let the devil do his worst’.”1
A lot of psalms begin its the psalmist describing his current crisis. Psalm 46 begins with praise for God’s protection and provision. Enduring Word elaborates on the psalmist referring to God as “our refuge and strength”:
That God Himself was a place of refuge, as the cities of refuge protected the fugitive in Israel.
That God Himself was strength for His people, being strong for them and in them.
That God alone was his refuge and strength, not God and something or someone else.
That God Himself was their help — not from a distance, but a very present help.
What is meant by “an ever-present help”? It appears to represent an awareness of the nearness of God. Knowing that He is at our side at all times and in all places is truly a confidence builder!
Moving on to verses 2 and 3, the psalmist says “we will not fear”, then follows with a list of some of the most frightening things one can imagine — “the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” Think of a devastating earthquake followed by massive tsunamis and cliffs falling into the sea, and you have a pretty good idea of what a real calamity could be.
Yet the psalmist knows that “we will not fear”, as “God is our refuge and strength”. It’s all quite logical — if one has faith in God and God is a refuge, strength, and help to His people, then there is no reason to have fear. God is greater than all of the worst things that can happen, and fearing them shows a lack of trust in Him!
Many of the translations of the Bible include the word “Selah (Ancient Hebrew סֶלֶה)” after these verses. This was commonly used to signify an interlude or pause in a psalm, a way of pondering the thoughts just presented and how great they were.
Should you find yourself in a world of trouble, it’s worth recalling the first verse: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble”. With strong faith in God, there is no reason to fear anything.
God loves to tie things together as a way of getting His people to understand Him better. Barb’s devotional yesterday was a perfect example of Psalm 46:1 in action!
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Thank You, Father, for being our refuge and strength. We can find comfort in knowing that even if the world crumbles around us, You are a never-changing source of peace and hope. You will always guide us through the darkest situations and lead us to an unwavering haven of rest and reassurance. AMEN.
Scripture quotations taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica US, Inc.®. Used by permission.
Commentary quotations from Enduring Word are used with the written permission of the author
Trapp, John "A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments" Volume 2 (Ezra to Psalms) (Eureka, California: Tanski Publications, 1997)