Help in troubled times Psalm 46

When I was younger, I really didn't care to much to read through the Psalms. Poetry didn't interest me, and I really never felt connected to the Psalmist. The older I get, the more I appreciate the passion of the Psalms as they lead me in worship of God. Psalm 46 seemed to cry out to me as I read through it this morning.

Psalm 46:1-3

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

God is . . .

OUR --so many times we feel alone in our problems, but in reality we are all facing huge issues in our day to day lives.
REFUGE --where do I run when trouble comes? If you are like me, I run everywhere but to God. He is our refuge. Just after I graduated from high school, my dad took a church on the outer banks of North Carolina. It really is an amazingly beautiful place. I can remember driving down the main road, past the resorts and timeshares to the point where there what just natural habitat. Signs were posted in many places in this area that this was a wildlife refuge. As I read Psalm 46:1, I couldn't help but think that God is that place where the hunters, and destroyers of life cannot reach us. He is our refuge so we must flee to the refuge of our souls.
STRENGTH --if God is our strength, then despite the fact that I think I am a strong person, I am really weak. My only strength is found in God. It reminds me of the words to a Steven Curtis Chapman song, "Weak Days:"

I gotta keep my eyes on Jesus

Through the weak days;
In a world where we really don't belong,
I've discovered if I keep my eyes on Jesus
Through the weak days,
Then even on the weak days He'll make me strong.

A VERY PRESENT --God is with me all the time. There have been so many times that I have been let down over the years. God is always there for me. He is not the God of the future, but the God of the right now. He doesn't just promise help down the road if everything works out, but He is right here with me. I don't have to tell Him about what I am facing, because He is a firsthand eyewitness to the events, trials, troubles, and problems I face as I encounter them.
HELP --He is help. There have been times in my life that I have taken my problems to counselors/mentors, friends, and even family and they really were no help. God is help.
IN TROUBLE --The first thought that came to my mind is "When am I not in trouble?" God is not help when things are fine or going well, but he is the help in trouble. Over the years I have come across many people who will help when it is convenient or profitable to them. God helps in the middle of trouble.

Psalm 46:7

The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

There is great comfort in the presence of God. When my life is in turmoil, it is because I have fled the presence of God and become a Jonah.

So what to do about this. . . Psalm 46:10-11

Be still and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!

The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge.

BE STILL --When I was little, my parents gave me a record player with several records to listen to. This was way before CD's, DVD's, MP3's, etc. One of the records told the story of Ferdinand the Bull. As I read "Be Still," I thought about Ferdinand the Bull and how happy he was to sit and smell the flowers, even in the middle of the bullfighting arena. It is natural for me to rush here and there and miss out on my life with God. When the agitators come to stir me up and upset my life, I usually react just like the bull I am. In being still, I need to learn to let God take care of the trouble and enjoy the journey He has given to me. Stop and smell the flowers, if you will.
KNOW --There are few certainties in my life, but the one that should be most permanent is that God is in control and there is no changing in Him.
I AM GOD --The substance of sin is selfishness. I often set myself up as my own god. Getting to know God and treating Him as God is the only way to true peace and safety. Daily I have to ask what have I set up as a god in my life to replace the one true God.

GOD WILL BE EXALTED --I can either get on board and learn to acknowledge and praise Him or I can continue to live in the miserable wallows of trouble and pain. In the end though, God will be exalted. It is much easier to do this voluntarily with my life!

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