God Is Our Rest, Our Refuge And Strength

From: April 19-25, 2011

TOPIC: "God Is Our Rest, Our Refuge And Strength" Psalm 46:1-4

We are shaken by everything, sometimes we get fearful and scared. When fear invades us we begin to suffer in our stomach, pressure, depression, and unhappiness, we make faces. If we are frightened by something, Oh, so many things begin to appear in our bodies and in our minds. We can’t worship, laugh or sing freely. Our face clearly expresses the fear in us; the panic can be seen as if we were constantly expecting the worst. All these fears cause us to complain, to express pain that only makes us look as if God was not with us. But beloved, God is our refuge and strength! What can instill safety and value is not what we possess. When everything seems to be alright we smile, sing and worship; but, because everything is going well for us, do not mean that this is our strength. It happens with the kings of this earth. Kings boast in what they possess. In biblical times the kings of Israel had their strength in their armies and fortresses, but all Israel knew that Jehovah was the only true and living God that could deliver them from their enemies. The kings relied on their castles and iron gates, but when they had to fight in enemy territory it was only the Lord the one who could place them in the best position to win the war rather than armies or strength of carts and horses. Oh, If we would look at God and not the "iron gates" or the earthly strengths that we have! Well, refuge and fortress is our God! We must not think that we are less than the psalmist who wrote these things. God is our refuge now as he was in the days of the Psalmist. We all get the same terrors. Only God is our everything! When we take refuge in other things we are mistaken, it is a lie if we are led to believe that anything can be a refuge for our lives because the power belongs only to God. God is sufficient for everything; He is our defense and power. The power of God and His care is above all the difficult situations we may have. You can trust what you want, but God is our true refuge and strength. He is our present aid, the help that we need immediately. He is our aid when there is no one else, when there is a lot to resolve, the aid that is fully effective and powerful in our troubles and difficulties. God has always allowed to be seen as the extreme aid in the difficulties. It has always been this way, therefore, we will not fear. With God on our side it would be irrational to fear. Our understanding should reason on God’s behalf. We cannot lack the ability to reason and to doubt God, there is nothing to fear. But, the truth is that often we act as irrational beings. Where He stands we have for us all the power and all the love, why then are we afraid? It is said of the admired English preacher, John Wesley, who preached in Hyde Park on the occasion of the earthquake that was felt in London on March 8, 1750, saying: "Though the earth be removed, even if the worst happens, a child of God should never lose his confidence; as God remains faithful there is no danger to his people. When the end of time arrives and the elements melt because of the heat, and the heavens and earth disappear, with serenity we will contemplate the destruction of matter and the outbreak of the worlds, for even then GOD OUR REFUGE will preserve us from all evil. " There is a river of the grace of God. That grace flows smoothly fertilizing everything in its path; it is a river that never wanes, giving us refreshment and comfort, whose streams bring joy to the city of God. It is that the Lord will supply all our needs. When the Bible mentions that a city was under siege, it was proper for the water to be cut off by their enemies of war. A city without water was a city that was trapped and sad. When the waters are secured the city can resist the attacks indefinitely. So, do not be afraid, God is our river. Jerusalem has been prepared to resist to the end just like the church. God is the river. God is among them. God, the Father, is the river. He is the source of living water (Jeremiah 2:13). God, the Son, is the river (Zechariah 13:1), a fountain opened to his people. God, the Spirit, is the river (John 4:14), the rivers of living water will flow within us, a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. God is the river, its stream, perfection, the fullness of Christ, the operations of the Spirit and everything runs together in the cause of the covenant of promise for us who believe. Why fear? We are the City of God. The church is like a city because a city is a place of safety. It is a place of unity where we live in peace and where there is shelter and aid. All who are thirsty come, here is the pearl of great price. In the church we find the freedom from the guilt of sin, freedom from the wrath of God, from the curse of the law and slavery of Satan. The church is God's city, a place of order and regularity, of rest, where there is no loneliness or desert, it is a place of privilege, pleasure and beauty. The church is the place known as "The Shrine of the inhabitants of the Almighty." The church contains a revelation so clear and convincing of God as so are the works of nature. Do you belong to that city, are you apart of the Church? Rejoice. Amen.