Psalm 46

“I am weak, but Thou art strong.” The songs of the church frequently contain this important realization. This is one of the lessons that we learn through suffering. It is part of having a full life to be humbled by the events that take place in that life. Part of what it means to be a worshiper of God is to gain an increased awareness of the Lord's Almighty strength, and then to rest upon Him, believing His promises.

Anyone who has any experience of true worship and faithful obedience should be able to relate to the first verse of this psalm: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” These words do not promise us that we will quickly get everything that we want exactly when we want it. But the Lord will be the One we can run to and the Rock that we stand on even at a moment's notice if we will trust Him in everything.

The verses that follow are not the common experience of everyone who calls upon the Lord, though they are a very worthy goal. When the earth begins to give way, when bullets are flying everywhere and men are dropping to the ground, when disaster strikes a city, and life changes for millions in the course of a few brief seconds, almost everyone is afraid. To be different then this because of who we trust, to have a quiet heart when thousands are frantic, that would be unusual. To have that peace under trial, not because of personal courage, but because of our secure faith in Almighty God would be very commendable.

Think of what you would feel like and what you would do if the earth began to give way, or if you saw an entire range of mountains tossed into the air and cast into the ocean by some unseen hand. For a community of worshipers to honestly be able to say “We will not fear” in such a situation would be more than extraordinary, it would be utterly beyond our experience as people who live on this troubled planet.

Perhaps that is a clue for us. Is there a congregation that has a frame of reference that is different than ours? Are there worshipers in another place who have such security where they are that they really could trust perfectly in the Lord even if mountains were moved from their foundations before their very eyes?

There is a city like that, and it is called here “the city of God.” There is a river in that city. It proceeds from the strength of the death of Christ for all the inhabitants there. See Ezekiel 47 and consider the meaning of the water that comes forth from the place of sacrifice in the temple.

“There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God.” This is “the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her.” And that is why “she shall not be moved.” She sees tumult in other places, but she knows that she is perfectly safe.

To swim in that river now! To have the streams of it flowing around our homes... that would be heaven on earth, and the fullness of the Holy Spirit. To have that stream within us like a never-ending fountain, that would be eternal life.

God dwells in His heavenly city. He is there with all of her inhabitants. But here is a fact worthy of your present contemplation: You are already a citizen of that city, your name is written there, and you are there even now when you gather in true spiritual worship in Jesus Christ who is the connection between heaven and earth.

You are also in this present world. True spiritual growth, true increase in godliness, true Christ-likeness, would be to live now in this world as one who had the peace of the age to come informing your heart.

Will nations still rage? Yes, kingdoms will rise and fall over the decades of your life. Some of that tumult may have a very direct impact upon you. But if you know that when men have done all they can to you, you will surely be in a place where there is a river that makes the whole city glad, then that faith will help you to know that God is your refuge and your strength even now.

Your God is not only the King of heaven, He also has sovereign power over the earth. When He utters his voice, the earth melts. This God is with us. Israel's God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is Immanuel, God with us, who has atoned for our sins by His own blood. After He accomplished our great redemption in the person of His Son, He returned again to the heights of heaven. Our names are written in the palms of His hands. This God, the King of the Jews, is our fortress, and the fortress of Jews and Gentiles all over the earth who call upon His Name. To trust is His saving work for us, and to know that He reigns from heavens heights does make a difference in our spiritual courage. This kind of courage is more than a natural disposition, or a behavior that is passed along through instruction from Father to Son. It is a gift of the Holy Spirit.

Come to heaven now in the gathering of those who call on the Name of God! Come and consider His power over all the earth, and believe in Him. Be still before Him, despite the present trial that has unsettled you. Know that the Lord is God. He will be exalted among the nations, He will be exalted in the earth! This God over all, the Lord of hosts, is with us. The God of Jacob is our mighty fortress.

“Little ones to Him belong. They are weak, but He is strong.”