Psalm 46:1-3 – “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  2 Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling.”  NKJV

If you examine the biblical record and the historical evidence of what was transpiring at the writing of the Psalm, you discover that it was in the context of Extreme Stress and Pressure!  It is a healing balm for everyone who is bowed down under the load of the Cares of this Life.  

Martin Luther, a man constantly under pressure and satanic attack, found that Psalm 46 was a Powerful, Comforting Promise of Peace and, because of its message, penned the hymn: “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, A Bulwark Never Failing.” 

The first verses of this Psalm introduce the theme of the entire Psalm.  It could be paraphrased like this: “God Is Our Instant Help When We Are in A Tight Squeeze.”  Trouble in Hebrew means to be restricted or tied up in a narrow, cramped place. 

I know that Place!  There is an old saying we have all heard and probably used, “Between a Rock and a Hard Place.”  That is precisely the spot the Psalmist was in when God inspired him to pen the 46^th Psalm.  Stress means that I am being pressed and pressured.  It is being squeezed into a tight place. Anxiety and negative stress are doing a number on us.  The Psalmist tells us that in those times, God is our Refuge and Strength!

When you are Stressed under the heavy weight of pressure and being pushed down, exposing your weakness and humanity, that is a very difficult place! 

But God promises that He is building a Tent of Refuge for us in those times.  He is protecting us.  He surrounds us with His love, care, power, and might.  He has given His angels charge over us to Protect us!  In those times and at all times, His Strength is available for us IF we learn to receive it and tap into it.

In this Psalm, the writer calls to mind three situations that can damage our faith and cause fear to well up in our hearts.  He identifies these situations to help us realize that Stress and pressure are not the Final desired Destination in God – PEACE IS!

• Natural Calamities – – Psalm 46:1-3.  When those come, the natural reaction is FEAR, but for the one TRUSTING in God, the reaction is or will become “I WILL NOT FEAR.’

• Civil Disturbance – – Psalm 46:4-7.  The city was under attack, and the natural reaction was PANIC, but for the one TRUSTING in God, the reaction is or will become, “GOD IS IN THE MIDST OF HER; SHE WILL NOT BE MOVED.”

• Post Battle Fatigue – – Psalm 46:8-11.  At that moment when it would be easy to give up or go into hiding the attitude of the person TRUSTING in God, we declare that we will “Cease Striving and know that God is God, so, therefore, I WILL NOT STRIVE.”

We can conquer Fear!  If we take God’s Promises to heart and believe them to be current realities and available, we can stand as the Psalmist and declare that even if the earth should change, the mountains quake, and fire roar around us, God is our Bridge over Troubled Waters!

The Psalmist tells us in verse 10, “Cease Striving and know that I am God.”  The word Cease in Hebrew means “relax.”  You will never discover the tent of Power that God desires to build over each of us if we keep scurrying around, fretting, and stressed out with pressure.  Stress will ultimately win out and destroy you if you do not learn to “Cast all your care on the Lord….”  I read a Poem a few years ago that I will share with you, and I hope it inspires and encourages you.

That resonates in my heart powerfully.  For God to counteract stress’s incredible toll, we must slow down!  It is My Stress countered by God’s Strength! 

I will pause here, and tomorrow, I will offer some practical thoughts regarding how we can find God’s Strength in our time of stress and confusion.

God bless you as you go through this beautiful day with Jesus!