“A Mighty Fortress”

When we think of things that are firm and seemingly immovable, the ground upon which we stand seems to fit that bill. Nothing seems as solid and unshakeable as the ground under our feet… until that ground is moved. On October 27, 1989, as ABC television’s broadcast of Game 3 of the  World Series was beginning, pandemonium broke out as an earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale hit the San Francisco Bay Area. It was the most severe earthquake to hit the area in over 80 years. If you have ever been in an earthquake or a hurricane or a tornado, or even an extremely severe thunderstorm, you know that feeling of chaos and fear. Those are times when we are made acutely aware that we are not in control. Psalm 46 is a Psalm that expresses supreme confidence in the Living God in the midst of life’s monumental troubles. It is a Psalm that expresses why God’s people can trust him in those times. It is a Psalm that expresses why we can have unshakeable confidence in God when everything around us, and within us, tries to drive us to fear and doubt. Martin Luther was so moved by Psalm 46 that it led him to write the famous hymn A Mighty Fortress Is Our God. The theme of God as his people’s fortress, security and refuge dominates this psalm. Verse 1 proclaims, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present  help in trouble.” This opening verse declares clear trust and confidence in God, and it expresses exactly why the psalmist has this confidence. The Hebrew that is translated “very present…” means “well-proven.” God is a well-proven help in times of trouble. His track record is flawless. Because of God’s track record, he is worthy and deserving of his people’s unwavering trust. On the basis of what God has previously done, we can have confidence in him at all times because he is unchangeable. The mighty works of God recorded in sacred Scripture bear testimony. And the first historical event that Scripture records should be evidence enough. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). If God can bring this created order into being out of nothing by the power of his word, is there anything he can’t do? We can trust God even when outward appearances and inner turmoil make us want to doubt. When our sinful and finite nature tells us “No,” God’s proven track record tells us “Yes!” The word “trouble” in v 1 is in the plural in Hebrew. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present  help in troubles.” Life is full of troubles, and that should come as no surprise. The Bible never hides this reality from us. Simply read through the book of Psalms. In how many of the psalms does the psalmist recount life’s hardships and harrowing times? Life is full of troubles, even for God’s people. Psalm 34:19 “Many are the afflictions of the righteous…” They come often, and they come in different magnitudes. Some are truly devastating in magnitude. But Psalm 34:19 also reminds what Psalm 46:1 states: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the LORD delivers him out of them all.” But can we truly say we believe this when our world is turned upside down?…. In vv 2-3, the psalmist states that God’s people do not need to fear based on what he has stated in v 1. “Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.” The psalmist opens with the word “therefore.” He’s building on v 1. He states in these verses that God’s people do not need to fear based on what he has stated in v 1. Because of God’s well-proven track record, his people have no need to fear. The psalmist then goes on to illustrate with a worst-case scenario. He gives a metaphorical picture of the earth falling apart. Unbelievers, in their defiance of God, point to natural disasters as their alleged “proof” that God is not in control. Their faulty reasoning goes like this: “If God were in control, these things would not happen, but since these things do happen, God is clearly not in control.”  But in that flawed logic, they show their incorrect and faulty view of God. The natural disasters are actually proof that God is in complete control. He is the power behind them. The laws of nature stay in place until God removes them. There is stability in the created order. God is that stability. He is Creator, and he upholds and sustains his creation at all times. Vv 2-3 are telling us that God’s people do not need to fear when the world around us seems unstable and chaotic. God’s people have Divine help in a chaotic world. The God of Psalm 46 is an Almighty, all-knowing God who is with his people in the uncertain and chaotic times in life. When our lives seem upside down and out of control, God has all things under sovereign control, and he is always with his people. No circumstance is too great or too chaotic for God, regardless of outward appearance. Many circumstances are too great and too chaotic for us, but not for God Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. At some point, we’ve all been there. Life suddenly is turned on its head, and you feel totally out of control. Maybe you’re there right now. Maybe you’re at a place of frustration. Maybe you’re even at a place of hopelessness. Perhaps, you’re even at the point of despair. But do not despair. Trust the LORD, who is a well-proven strength and refuge for his people. A mighty fortress is our God! Jesus is the one through whom God fulfills the promises of Psalm 46. God’s kingdom is triumphant because Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords. He brings the peace and the security of God’s presence to his people. He has promised he will be with us always. He never takes his eyes off his people, not even for one nanosecond. No one can snatch us from his hand, so we need not fear, even in the midst of the most chaotic and uncertain circumstances. Jesus is King of the kingdom of God. He brings the assurance of the final victory of God’s kingdom. And he has promised we are more than conquerors through him. As Martin Luther wrote at the close of his famous hymn: “His kingdom is forever!”