Thoughts on Psalm 46 - Fraser Leach
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
V1- When we are in trouble (this is meant in a very general sense); he comes in with all that is needed:
Refuge – from the trouble
Strength- to overcome the trouble
Help- to defeat the trouble
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
V2- Things we had hoped in, relied on (e.g our health) can let us down, for example it mentions the earth giving way, mountains falling- really solid and reliable things giving way. When these things collapse, then don’t fear because as it says in verse one, we have got God helping us.
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
V3- Sometimes these very things we’ve relied on actually seem to come against us (waters roaring, mountains quaking)..
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
V4- BUT then God comes in to make us glad. These things imitated God (and therefore fooled us), but then frightened us (the roaring waters of verse 3). But the real God (the river) is there all of the time and brings his goodness.
God is the river, we are the city of God, the holy place. In 1 Cor 3 v.16 it says that you are God’s temple and God’s Spirit dwells in your midst. And Eph 2v. 22 says In him, you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by the spirit.
God, as the river, flows out to us and out through us (what river flows to a city and then just stops) to refresh us and give us joy. Psalms 23 v.2 says ‘He leads me by still waters’.
In John 7 v.37-38, Jesus says, ‘Anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink, whoever believes in me, rivers of living water will flow from them’. Jesus addressed this to the entire crowd, so it was an invitation to all. Anyone who comes to him, in whatever way, will receive water for their thirst.
And again their will be an outflowing of refreshment to others.
The promise is sure -> we will receive refreshment for our thirst, no exceptions, but the question can be what will flow out of us.
A river that flows into a city can be clean but in that city it can become polluted. Do we let good stuff flow out from us to others, that reflects the good Jesus has poured in, or do we mix it with our doubts and fears, our negativities and let that flow out instead?
Isaiah 35 talks about a parched desert land which blossoms and is glad (v1) when the waters gush forth (v6) and the sands turn into pools and springs (v7). The sorrow and sighing turn into everlasting joy and gladness (v10). We can feel dry and parched (desert like) but we can come to God and be refreshed.
Finally in this part, Rev 22 v.1-5 talks about the river of the water of life and Jesus talks about the spring of the water of life (Rev 21 v.5) which is similar to his living water in John 7. The water is more than refreshing, it is there for more than to give you a boost or make you feel a bit better, it is life itself.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
V5- God is our helper. This does not tie down or limit but means that whatever the situation, whatever the problem, God is there to help. The fact that he is within us means he understands the problem and knows what to do and then the help is at the ‘break of day’- it is not delayed, it is not slow in coming, but is right there from the start.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
V6-7- the nations are in uproar, kingdoms are falling and the earth is melting (how apt that seems at the moment on all levels- local, national, international). BUT in contrast God is with us, he is like a fortress to protect us from all this outside harm.
8 Come and see what the Lord has done,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
V8- seems out of line with the positivity of the rest of the Psalm. It talks about God bringing us desolations… How does that fit in?
Firstly some of the other versions (Good News and Living for example) don’t use the word desolation, they talk about ‘amazing things’ etc, so what the Psalmist meant may not be entirely clear. When we think of desolation we think of laying to waste, of being no more. But is the psalmist necessarily saying God is going to do this to us or even to others?
9 He makes wars cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
V9- points us in the right direction. What is being laid to waste is war and the weaponry of war. Surely that is a good thing as it means others will not be attacking us and we will not be attacking them.
It is often tempting to think how good it would be if God would lay to waste our human enemies, but he is a bringer of peace and reconciliation, and how much better is that. In any conflict there are mainly innocent victims on both sides, being dictated to in what they have to do. It is not always good versus evil and if we could just see both sides then most conflicts would end. This does not only apply to warring factions but also on a local and individual level as well. God wants to come to us and work in us to lay to waste the unwanted anger and frustration, the sense of entitlement and getting even, the fear and fighting that is within, and instead give us his peace.
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
V10- God is not found in the warring, the shouting, the imposing of your will over others etc. BUT he is found in the stillness, the calmness and the peace. Sometimes we need to still ourselves to really hear God. In 1 King 19 v.11-12 Elijah is before God. The whirlwind, earthquake and fire all come, but God was not to be found in them. Then came the gentle whisper and Elijah heard God.
In whirlwind, earthquake and fire all we can hear is noise and the noise frightens us. God is to be found in the quietness of our heart bringing his love and peace. His words are ones of peace, reconciliation and restoration.
With all the noise around we are not going to be able to hear God. Sometimes we need to block the noise out (eg social media, TV, those around us, entertainment- things that aren’t necessarily harmful in themselves but block our ears from tuning into God) and come away to a quiet place where we can still our hearts and God’s spirit can speak to our spirit.
11 The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
And then (v. 11) God will tell us that he is with us and is our protection (fortress) and with him things are going to work out well.