Psalm 46 - God is our refuge and strength

Psalm 46 is a song of triumph. Together with Psalms 47 and 48, these three pieces share the same theme of triumph. They were composed to celebrate the deliverance of Jerusalem, the city of God. The superscript of this Psalm attributed the authorship to the sons of Korah, who had composed it for the choir director. The term Alamoth in the superscript means maiden or ladies. It suggests that this song was to be sung by the female voices that carry a higher pitch. Based on this Psalm, Martin Luther, the reformer, composed his famous hymn, A Mighty Fortress is our God. Here we are assured that in the Almighty God we will have unfailing security because He is our sure refuge.

The Psalmist began by affirming confidence in God. He is the believers’ refuge, strength and help.  Nothing can be more assuring in perilous times. Many could place their trust in their weapons or allies and even build walls and fortress to protect themselves. But for the Psalmist and for us, we should make God our refuge. When we make Him our refuge, we can be sure of safety and security. His presence to deliver will be in each and every encounter we face. Therefore there is no need to fear. These words echo the thoughts of Psalm 23 that says, “Even when we walk through the shadow of the valley of death, we shall fear no evil.” Why? Because our shepherd will be there with us, with His rod and staff to comfort us. We can walk confidently on no matter what circumstance may besiege us. Verses 4-7 then tell us that we believers are truly blessed people. God not only delivers us and gladdens our hearts, but will also forever be in our midst. His river of blessing that flow from His throne will convey His goodness and grace into our lives. Verses 8-11 express the supremacy of God. He is our all sufficiency. None can resist Him. He will crush all the enemies, abolish their strongholds and make all wars to cease. So verse 10 exalts us believers to be still and find our rest in God.

There is no need to entertain anxiety and become restless. Instead we should cease striving. Why? God is still God and He is in control. He is in the midst of all our encounters in life. And He still reigns supreme. The Psalmist ends so powerfully saying that God, the God that led Jacob through his journey is with us. Today we know He is Emmanuel, God with us. We are His and this promise is just as sure as God had made it when Christ first arrived as a man on earth. The thought of this promise of His should stir up songs of joy within us. It should enable us to sing joyfully to Him despite the troubles we may encounter. Yes, He is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble.