THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016
Leviticus 27:14 – Numbers 1:54
Mark 11:1–26
Psalm 46:1–11
Proverbs 10:23
“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.” (Psalm 46:1–3)
“The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.” (Psalm 46:7)
“He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)
Today’s psalm proclaims several great truths surrounding God’s sovereignty over nature and the nations, all of which lead to greater devotion and humble faith.
The psalmist describes God as our “refuge and strength,” our resting place in the face of great strife. The Scriptures and reality provide many examples of natural disasters and tumult within and between nations. This volatility makes us realize that, without God’s intervention, we would be extremely vulnerable and points us to our supreme need for our Rock and Redeemer. When we welcome God’s presence “with us,” He becomes our “fortress.”
We could only rightly trust a strong, faithful, and benevolent God, Who holds sway over the present and the future. The Scriptures and our own lives of faith testify to these truths. While it takes faith to trust God, we realize through experience that trusting Him in the small things leads us to trust Him more deeply at the macro level.
How does this trust come about? In v. 10, the psalmist explains that it comes through a listening, observant study of God’s sovereignty. God calls us to “be still” in His presence, to rest before Him. As we do, we will understand the magnitude of God’s power and concern.
The truths from Psalm 46 tie to Psalm 73:23–26, which provides solace and strength for me in times of doubt or frustration. We must know of our Father’s love and His all-sufficiency in every need. Asaph, the psalmist there, gives us a great insight into the truths we recognize in being still before our Father:
“Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.”
May we embrace God as “the strength of my heart/ and my portion forever.” We need His presence urgently to make it through each day – and especially those moments of challenge, where we recognize that nothing or no one could stand in for Him.
Lord God, thank You for being our refuge and our help. We desperately need Your presence today and always. Help us to be still before You and comprehend more of Your awesome strength and holiness. Reveal Your power to us and bring us closer to Your side so that we may walk through moments of peace or turmoil with confidence and joy. We embrace You as our great God and Protector. We love You and worship You forever. In Jesus’s Name, amen.
Rich Mullins, “Calling Out Your Name”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaNwTYJrYtA
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