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God is our refuge and strength an ever-present help in trouble. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge (Psalm 46:1,7).

Last Sunday, I mentioned in my sermon that songs shape our theology. We remember very few sermons, but there are songs we can sing from memory. These lyrics shape our thoughts and feelings about God. In 1529, Martin Luther wrote poem based on Psalm 46. The story is that he composed it to be sung to a popular pub tune of the day. Some of you will recognize these words.

\u201cA mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper he, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing. For still our ancient foe does seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing, were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God's own choosing. You ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is he; Lord Sabaoth his name, from age to age the same; and he must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God has willed his truth to triumph through us. The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him; his rage we can endure, for lo! his doom is sure; one little word shall fell him.

That Word above all earthly powers no thanks to them abideth; the Spirit and the gifts are ours through him who with us sideth. Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; the body they may kill: God's truth abideth still; his kingdom is forever! \u201c

To this day, this hymn is one of the best meditations on Psalm 46. I suspect it has shaped a few of you. I know that it formed me. But like much poetry, this psalm takes a moment to digest. Let me help a little.

Imagine the fear you would experience if you were sleeping with your family in a cheap canvass tent on the Canadian prairies only to be woken by a very loud clap of thunder. That horrifying noise is followed by a deluge of rain being driven by hurricane force winds.

This scene helps us get into the skin of the ancient Israelites. Such was their life, they lived subject to the natural elements. The turmoil caused by the nations at war against Israel aroused this same intense fear.

This is the key point of the psalm. Israel were the Lord God's people. He had called her out of the nations to fulfill His redemptive purposes in this world. But there were forces of evil bent on destroying Israel. Often, it seemed like they would succeed.

So, God says to His people through the psalmist, \u201cGod is our refuge and strength an ever-present help in trouble. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.\u201d Those are the key words of the Psalm. Later it says, "Be still and know that I am God."

This psalm does not tell us that all our problems will go away. Rather, this is a testimony given to the church that as she seeks to fulfil God's calling, God Himself will ensure that the church will not fall. Many times, the church has gotten things wrong and has caused harm. Yet Jesus keeps building his church.

Storms may come in the form of ridicule from our co-workers, outright persecution on university campuses, or through temptations of all sorts. During the worst that Satan can unleash against us, God is like a river in the middle of a besieged city. He gives life while death surrounds us.

So, stop your fretting (be still). God will be exalted in the earth.