God Our Sufficiency

“God is our refuge and strength,

Always ready to help in times of trouble.

So we will not fear when earthquakes come

And the mountains crumble into the sea”

Psalms 46:1, 2 New Living Translation

Psalms 46 to 48 are considered by some to be a Trilogy of Psalms celebrating the same event. The precise historical origin is not exactly clear. Some scholars think it was composed when Jerusalem was under a siege by Sennacherib’s army (2^nd Kings 18:1-37) while some others think it is a reference to Jehoshaphat’s deliverance from the combined forces of the bordering nations (2nd Chronicles 20:1-37).

The lessons from the Psalm are however undeniable. The truth contained therein so comforting, bringing such assurance to the heart of the believer in a powerful way. So much so that this Psalm was one of Martin Luther’s favorite Psalms and it was the inspiration behind his hymn, “A Mighty fortress is our God”.

The scene seems to be one of deep turmoil and uncontrolled confused, noisy disturbance. The earth itself was trembling; the firm and lofty mountains were being toppled into the depths of the seas and the waters were roaring and foaming. Yet, in that wild tumultuous tempest, the Psalmist paints a picture of a tranquil city of God.

The ground of assurance for the Psalmist according to verses 1, 2, 5, 7 and 11 is in nothing else but the very presence and power of God. They could have trusted in the skill and might of their army or the strength of the walls surrounding their city. But no, the Psalm doesn’t celebrate any of those. The Psalm celebrates the sufficiency of God even in the midst of the most difficult circumstances.

I have seen that this truth is sometimes lost in our consciousness. Since the dawn of human history, humanity has prided himself in his ability to meet his needs by his own efforts. Adam and Eve’s attempt to cover their nakedness by sewing fig leaves seems to have set us into a pattern of drawing up man-made inventions and plans for every situation. There is however a limit to what our human strengths and abilities can achieve. This Psalm teaches us to continually place our trust in God as He is able to bring deliverance even in the most extreme adversity. He Himself is our refuge and strength.

This week I want to leave us with this thought from verse 10 of this Psalm:

“Be still and know that I am God!”

Muse with me this week on this Psalm. Gain freedom from anxiety, despair and worry in the midst of turmoil. As we meditate on this Psalm and other verses from His word, God’s Spirit produces in us a calm, trustful state of mind drawing confidence in the assurance of God’s presence and power in our lives.  

My song for the week is “Still” by Hillsong United

"Still" by Hillsong United