Lessons From the Psalms - Psalm 46

[00:00:00] Welcome to lessons from the Psalms. This is Bill Kelley and I'll be your host. On this

[00:00:14] podcast we will be going over the book of Psalms.

[00:00:21] Open in prayer. Father God, I thank you for anyone listening to this Psalm today. Lord,

[00:00:28] I pray that you reveal to everyone listening how much you truly love each and every one of them.

[00:00:34] I ask this in Jesus name, Amen. This is Psalm 46 beginning in verse 1. God is our refuge

[00:00:45] and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear even though the earth

[00:00:53] be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, though its waters

[00:01:00] roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling. Say long. There is a river

[00:01:10] whose streams shall make glad the city of God. The holy place of the tabernacle of the most high.

[00:01:18] God is in the midst of her. She shall not be moved. God shall help her just at the break of dawn.

[00:01:27] The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved. He uttered his voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts

[00:01:36] is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Say la. Come, behold the works of the Lord,

[00:01:46] who has made desolations in the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth. He breaks the

[00:01:54] bow and cuts the spear into. He burns the chariot in the fire. Be still and know that I am God.

[00:02:05] I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us.

[00:02:15] The God of Jacob is our refuge. Say la. Friends, this is your host, Bill Kelly.

[00:02:23] And I am reading out of the Nelson Study Bible. I would like to read just a bit of commentary

[00:02:32] from my Bible discussing Psalm 46. Psalm 46 is a Psalm of trust.

[00:02:41] Rejoices in the deliverance that the Lord gives his people in the midst of a fearsome battle or siege.

[00:02:50] There is reason to believe that Psalms 46 through 48 form a trilogy

[00:03:00] that focuses on God's special love for Jerusalem. Psalm 46 was Martin Luther's basis.

[00:03:09] For the Reformation him, a mighty fortress is our God. Friends, what I'd like to do is

[00:03:17] break down this Psalm into three passages. Let's begin in verse one. God is our refuge and strength.

[00:03:26] A very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear. Even though the earth be removed

[00:03:35] and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, though its waters roar and be troubled,

[00:03:43] though the mountains shake with its swelling. Say la. Friends, whenever you see that words say

[00:03:51] in the Bible, it tells us to meditate or think about what you've just read. The most important

[00:04:01] part of what we've just read in these three verses is that God is our refuge and strength.

[00:04:09] A very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear. Friends, regardless of what is

[00:04:17] going on in your life today, sometimes it may be a storm that you are going through and you don't

[00:04:25] know if you'll ever be able to get out of the storm you are currently in. This Psalm is for you.

[00:04:33] It's a Psalm of trust letting us know we can put our trust in God. Let's go to verses 4 through

[00:04:43] 7. There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle

[00:04:52] of the most high. God is in the midst of her. She shall not be moved. God shall help her just at the

[00:05:02] break of dawn. The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved. He uttered his voice, the earth melted,

[00:05:12] the Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Say, law. Friends, these four verses

[00:05:24] remind us that God loves us and he will never leave us nor forsake us. There may be times in our

[00:05:33] life when we don't sense his presence. We don't feel like he is near us, but this promises that

[00:05:43] he is with us and he dwells among his people. Let's close out verses 8 through 11. Come,

[00:05:53] behold the works of the Lord who has made desolations in the earth. He makes wars cease to the

[00:06:02] end of the earth. He breaks the bow and cuts the spear into. He burns the chariot in the fire.

[00:06:12] Be still and know that I and God, I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

[00:06:23] The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Say, law.

[00:06:32] Friends, verses 7 and 11 are identical. The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our

[00:06:43] refuge, but the verse I really like in this Psalm is verse 10. Be still and know that I and God.

[00:06:56] I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth. Friends, the only way to live

[00:07:06] a secure life is to put your trust in the living God. He is always there for us. He will never leave

[00:07:18] us nor forsake us. Friends, please join me again soon as we take a look at Psalm 47.