Psalm 46 (NRSV) God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns. The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. “Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.” The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Nature and the world around us, in disarray. The news can so often be a downer. Wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines. Is there nothing but chaos? In our families, schools, neighborhoods, political settings, any hope for things to get better?
Psalms 46, 48, and 76 are called Psalms of Zion. God is in the center of it all, in Jerusalem (in the New Testament, that is the church, the Body of Christ). In his holy temple. Extending his reach into the whole earth. Certainly we have fear if there is a tornado or some natural disaster. Our hearts go out to those who have lost every possession, all human security. It is hard to imagine being a refugee, fleeing on a moment’s notice for our lives.
But in the center of it all, the God who has his hand on all of this. The woes will not stop this side of the grave. But they will not “get us.” Luther chose this psalm as the thematic for “A Mighty Fortress,” he who had a price on his head for a good bit of his adult life. The kingdom ours remaineth. We can celebrate and go forward as his people, bringing good news of the victory won in Christ Jesus, true God and true man, as the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit lead us forth to thank, praise, serve and obey, for all eternity. Shalom!
Pastor Tom Trapp, Mission Pastor
Walking the Emmaus Road with the Risen Lord
(Originally published in Emmaus Footprints, Vol. XVIII, Number 2, September 2016)