Key scripture – “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” (Psalm 46:1-11).

Let me give you three very practical thoughts regarding the strength of God that you can rely on when you are stressed out, anxious and worried, that are all found in Psalm 46.

First, His strength is immediately available. God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Our trials are not superficial or irrelevant. They are vehicles of grace that God uses to bring us growth. Superficial problems call for superficial solutions. But real life isn’t like that; the headaches and stresses of life go deeper, right down to the bone. They touch the nerve areas of our security. But God says He is a present help in trouble. He never says I can’t help you today but I can be there next week. He is available immediately and He never ever leaves you alone. The Psalmist tells us twice in this Psalm that, “The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” Do you realize that wherever you are, no matter what time of the day or night, you can call and He will answer. He’s a very present and immediate help. All you have to do is say, “Jesus help me. I am so afraid. I need you”, and before you finish your request He has already answered you. “I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!”
(Isaiah 65:24).

The second thing I observe about God’s power in this Psalm is that it is overpowering! Just by speaking God can take care of any problem and any situation in your life. “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.” God’s Word is so powerful all God has to do is speak and things come into existence as in Genesis 1 or melt away like we are told in Psalm 46.

“And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.”
And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so.
And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so.
And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years,
And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.”
And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds—livestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so.
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” (Genesis 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26).

Third, His power is not dependent on our help. “He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.” God does it without our help. We are weak, remember? Have you felt that weakness lately? That is why He tells us in this Psalm, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Maybe it’s time to say, “Lord, I love You. Through Your strength I will not be moved. I will stop running, I will stop striving. I will not fear. I will let fret. I will not doubt. I will not shrink back. I will not give up any ground to the enemy. I will hold on to You. I will count on You to cover me and protect me.”

God says to all of His children, “Cease striving, and know that I am God.”

Pray this – Our Precious Heavenly Father, You and Your Word are so comforting to me. Forgive me for when I have let fear creep into my thoughts. I know that all I need to do when that happens is look at what You promised me in this Psalm. You started this Psalm by telling me; You are my refuge and strength, and in the middle You reminded me that You are my fortress, and you ended it by telling me again that You are my fortress. A refuge is a shelter or protection from danger, where I have recourse for aid, safety and relief. While a fortress is a place of exceptional security, a stronghold. Those are perfect descriptions of You, and what You do for me. Father, in addition to being my refuge and fortress, You are also my present help in trouble and that means You are immediately available no matter what time it is, no matter where I am, and no matter what is going on. It is so comforting to know that when I cry out, Jesus is right there with me. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.