God Is Our Fortress
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble”
- Psalm 46:1
When life overwhelms you with disappointment after disappointment and pain after pain, where do you run to? Who is your refuge? It is both shocking and sad how our hearts are so quick to forget God’s goodness and His faithfulness towards us as His children. We often cling to temporary things or find comfort in things that will leave us feeling more empty or shaken and broken. Sometimes the things we resort to are not bad things. For example, when troubled we may run to our families, our friends, or our colleagues – these people are a blessing from God. However, as amazing and as reliable they can be, they cannot shield us from life’s difficulties and sorrows. God is the only One to whom we can flee. The Psalmist reminds us that with God we have a refuge, one who gives us strength and is ever-present during our times of trouble
If we are being honest, running to the right place (which is God) when faced with difficulty is not an easy or natural thing to do. That is why we need to keep reminding ourselves that God is a good Father who is not only aware of every detail of our lives, but He also cares deeply for us. And He is eager to be our refuge. Therefore, whatever idols we often turn to or we tend to see as truth, we need to lay them down. It is a great delight to know that we can always run to our God, and be sure that He is able and He will keep us safe. Amidst the chaos and turmoil that is raging in our lives, may our hope be found in nowhere and in no one else but in God alone
It is easy to look at the world at large, and to look at what is happening around us, and sometimes even what is going on in our own lives and lose hope. This beautiful Psalm encourages us to once again hope in God, even more during the worst of times. This is a call for us to trust in God’s Sovereignty. In these trying times of grief, I can only imagine the comfort and the peace that the saints in Ukraine find in this Psalm. They can rest knowing that they are secure in their great God. Some tempted to fear and to be dismayed, they turn to the only true and Living God. Some tempted to trust in their wealth and boast in their riches, they turn to the One who is their all in all. Some tempted to lean on their own understanding, they turn to the only One who can save. When we are also confronted by such terror and agony, may we be found hiding under the Rock who is Higher than us
God is not only our refuge, but He is our strength as well. When each day presents us with its own challenges and uncertainties, our good and faithful God remains our source of strength. He lifts up our heavy burden and helps us to persevere. It matters not what the enemy plots against us, or how big the challenge in front of us is – God is our strength, and through Him we will overcome. When troubles seek to oppress us and our weaknesses leave us weary, may we never forget that we have a God whose power is always available to us. We cry out to Him and cast our cares upon Him, He hears us and He gives us rest
Trials have a way of clouding our vision and increasing our anxiety. Sometimes we are too anxious to even remember where our help comes from. The Psalmist tells us that God is a very present help in trouble. Whether we are battling to find rest in God or we are fighting sin in our lives, God is near to us. He walks with us and He guides our steps. We can have confidence in that God never forsakes the afflicted, His presence assures us of His divine grace and protection. We may not always feel it, but our Help is always beside us; strengthening our hearts with His truths and leading us along the way. His arm is ever stretched out to His children – what a strong and sure refuge!
