Rest In Him
“God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.” (Psalms 46:1 NKJV)
This is not a psalm of David but was composed by the Sons of Korah. Not much is known about these men except that they wrote several of the most beautiful expressions of trust in God, this among them.
Specified as, “A Song for Alamoth,” in the title, there is little clarity as to what that term meant: both, “stringed instruments such as a harp,” or “in the treble key,” perhaps for female voices, are among the possibilities found. It literally translates, “virgins,” so perhaps it was to be sung by a boys’ choir.
I love the way the psalm opens up with an expression of confidence in God and His protecting hand. In that characteristic, it is echoes Psalm 27, a psalm of David.
“The LORD is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalms 27:1 NKJV)
To be defended well in the world of Dravidic Israel, a city would have substantial walls. Somewhere within the city would be a final holdout spot, or refuge, to which the key people could retreat in case of attack. Think of a safe room in a house today, or a storm shelter. An even more apt comparison might be a wild animal sensing attack retreating to their den. In each of these examples, there is a sense of safety provided by the place. The reassurance of the retreat’s availability is the key for those of fearful heart. The psalmist is here proclaiming God is Himself a place to which we can retreat in times of distress.
He is secondly hailed as our strength. The refuge is a defensive position; the thickness of the defensive walls and the fortifications of the refuge itself are the strength of the retreat. A tragic counter-example of this concept was seen in the 2012 attack on the American Consulate in Benghazi, Libya. The “safe room” to which the ambassador and his bodyguards retreated did little to help them and was in fact a death trap, once a fire was set to smoke them out. The strength of a safe room comes in it being well thought-out and resistant to multiple forms of attack.
Finally in this verse, God is pictured as not being high and unattainable (far off) when trouble finds us but rather, “very present.” He is with us in the moment of our greatest need, even in our despair.
To consider the depth of this passage one needs to take the entirety of the first stanza, up to where there is a pause (or Selah) for contemplation. It says,
“God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling.
Selah” (Psalms 46:1-3 NKJV)
When you look at verses 2 and 3, some of the most threatening things mankind can ever face are cited. I’m picturing earthquakes, fierce storms, tsunamis, whirlwinds (what we call tornadoes) and the like – things often more devastating than the attack of any man – yet still the claim holds true. In the midst of even such catastrophes, because He is our refuge and strength, we need not fear.
In your life today, whatever you are facing, He is there for you, ready to be with you; your solace, your comfort, your security. Even if you’ve turned your back on Him and are suffering the consequences of such a decision, like the father of the Prodigal Son, He is waiting in mercy for you to come back to Him. Reach out to Him. Today is the day of salvation. He will stand beside you and save you. Let Him.
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