I am so glad God led me recently to this precious gem found in the book of Psalms. During these days as our senior pastor Greg leads us through a study on the presence of evil and God, my thoughts are attentive to this theme.
Psalm 46 has a way of intercepting our location and God’s in real time while we face injustice or any form of evil. It also makes clear the invitation God has for His creation in the midst of such realities.
Where is God and, foremost, what is He up to?
God is present, and He promises to be our refuge and strength. Nothing can offer us protection and strength as God can. He is all-powerful and makes Himself available to us. And so even in the presence of evil, He will ultimately preserve us for His will.
We are given the river of His presence. The author of this chapter wants us to know that God’s presence is active, it is not stale. His presence has a movement, it can take us from point A to point B. And furthermore, it brings life in the midst of desert-like conditions. So evil can’t stop the movement of God. Never!
God is in our midst. And this is also emphasized with the phrase: “The Lord of Hosts is with us.” That means God is working in the midst of evil. Evil is real, but it does not have the last word.
The God of Jacob is our fortress. That means God has at least a witness—Jacob and his people. He has been personal in the past, and He will be personal to you today!
So while God is present and active, He invites us to be still and to know Him. He wants to be known in a way that exalts Him above all else. This is good truth for me as my tendency is to want things now. I want to fix things quickly; I want answers on my time....but God invites me to wait and know Him in the waiting. Being still and knowing God exalted in each situation are deeply linked realities. Surely in the waiting He will reveal His presence and help.
It does not surprise me that Martin Luther, the reformer, composed in 1529 a powerful hymn based on this particular Psalm—and its message has reminded many generations that “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.”
—Diego Cuartas
