Title: Psalm 46 (2010.7.16)
Contents
Title: God of Refuge
Text: (Psalm 46:1~11)
Hymns: 272. To take off the yoke of pain
Date: July 16, 2010 (Fri) 5 am
Venue: Jeonju Yebut Church Small Worship Room
What are the conditions of victory for us Christians?
First, God is my refuge (v. 1).
Please see the confession in verses 2 and 3 of today's text. In other words, tsunamis and earthquakes cause the sea and earth to shake from the very beginning. This will mean the calamities and hardships we face as humans. But the poet confesses that he is never afraid in the midst of it. Why not be afraid? Because God is my refuge. Just like in Genesis, when there is a heavy rain and a flood comes and sweeps away everything on the earth, where does Noah's family escape? Only the family could be saved by entering the sheltered ark. Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you believe that God's people and Christians will be protected in the arms of the Lord today, no matter how great the world's difficulties come. The word refuge means a safe haven where we can hide ourselves in times of calamity and tribulation.
So where is our refuge? Please believe that our refuge is the church and that it is in the arms of our Jesus. So, what did Jesus say? He said, "Come to me, you who labor and are heavy laden! I will give you rest." Please believe that when we come into the arms of Jesus, our bodies and souls can be completely protected. The Lord is our refuge. We are not afraid because God is our refuge. We are not afraid of storms, typhoons, tsunamis, earthquakes, etc. This is Christian boldness.
Second, because God is my strength (verses 8-9).
No matter what adversary invades, if God is my strength, I have nothing to fear. Why? God has the power to devastate the enemy's land. As you can see here, bows, spears, and shields are all items used in war. However, God said that the bow is broken. He said that He would cut off the spear and burn the shield with fire. It means that God neutralizes all instruments used in war. Because God is omnipotent, and God is full of strength and power.
We can win because of God who has given me strength and has become my strength. The psalms always confess that God is our strength. (Psalm 27:1), it says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; whom shall I fear?" The word power here means power.
Third, because God is my help (verse 5).
God is a great help in times of trouble. Ladies and gentlemen, the word tribulation has the meaning of 'tightening from all sides' in the original language. When something presses me down from all sides, as if when I was squeezing juice, that is tribulation. So it is unbearable to be crushed there. Just as breathing is difficult, painful, and stuffy when the neck is tightened, our human ability is limited and tightened, that is tribulation. Sometimes hands and arms can be tied. Sometimes health can be impaired. Sometimes business difficulties can come. All of these are tribulation. But we are not afraid because there is a God who helps us in these afflictions, and because God helps us.
Ladies and gentlemen, take a special look at verse 5 today. What do you say? God dwells in the city, and the city does not move. There is no shaking. Also, the text said, "In the morning God will help." If we live a life of walking with God, God will surely help us and work on us at the earliest. The text “he will help us in the morning” literally means that in the Bible we can see God working at dawn in numerous instances.
Beloved, I hope that you will now be victorious in your difficult life by relying only on Jehovah God, who is your refuge, strength, and help in times of trouble. So, I bless you in the name of the Lord so that it can become me and you who sing thanks and praise.