27^th November 2013

Psalm 46, Romans 8.28-39.

In coming to this Psalm we usually focus on the last word of the first verse,--"trouble". We usually come to this Psalm to find comfort when we are facing a difficulty, when we are concerned primarily about ourselves or a troubling situation. The Psalmist comes from a different direction. In fact his trouble has led to a discovery that he can't keep to himself. His trouble has led him into a positive discovery, into discovering something of the very nature and presence of God.

V.1 "God is our refuge and strength."

It has been said that while each of us can have high hopes, in reality, our future on earth is most likely to be worse than that which we experience at present. While that may sound pessimistic Paul makes it plain to us that if the only hope we have in Christ is for a better life here and now we are to be pitied (1Cor. 15.9) Expecting that things will only get better is not how it is in this world----to have hope in the future it needs to be less about you and me and more about God.

We can't be sure about the original circumstances surrounding the origin of this song. It could have been sparked by a deliverance from an invading army. It has been suggested that it may have been the invasion of Jerusalem by the Assyrians in the time of Isaiah around 700 B.C. but what we can be sure of is that it will always be relevant.
We live in a vulnerable world. Life can change suddenly, violently. We may be sitting comfortably at present but sooner or later our established order or way of life will be dramatically disrupted. To greater or lesser degree we will all experience the unexpected, unwelcomed intrusion of trauma at sometime or another.
On a national level Australia is known as the "Lucky Country" but the luckier we get the emptier we become. Our trouble as a nation is not a material crisis, it is closer to the description of the late Malcomb Muggeridge who said, "We are living in the twilight of a spent civilization---Amid its ludicrous and frightening shadows what is there to believe?" We face a national spiritual crisis and a crisis of meaning. Look how threatening the crisis is!

V. 2-3 Though the mountains shake and the waters roar.

Though the usual immovable objects of our time like world climate stand threatened. Though our political system and the institution of marriage is confused. Though the legal system seems unreliable and the church totters. Though the earth should change, we will not fear,--why?-because our confidence is not based on a floating foundation. "God is our refuge and strength." What a contrast this is to the meaninglessness and emptiness of our time.

As Christian people we don't live life in a vacuum because we look to Jesus. It was Jesus who acknowledged Father God as the source, the authority and the truth behind all life. We are responsible and accountable to God and it is God who helps us to recognize a built-in moral and spiritual dimension to life. We are not given a guarantee against hardship or difficulty although sometimes like spoilt children we want to protest and blame God when things don't work out the way we want them to. Indeed we can spend a lot of time running away from the tensions that we are called to face. The Psalmist is not led to self-pity-his experience leads to the discovery that God is his refuge. The word ‘refuge' in the Hebrew does not mean a place of hiding or escape; rather it is a place of trust. In other words the Psalmist has found he no longer needs to trust himself or his own luck in meeting his troubles. He discovers God is present, a living strength, a reality beyond himself.

V. 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God.

Siloam was a shallow waterway outside Jerusalem. In Old Testament times the people cut out the famous Siloam tunnel under the wall of Jerusalem to bring fresh water into the city. It was not a spectacular construction but whenever an invading army surrounded Jerusalem and cut it off from the outside world that water source became a life-giving stream. It symbolized the living, saving, presence of God in their midst. Often God presence is like that, rather than being showy or spectacular it is a quite, sustaining presence.

One night a friend of mine on holiday towed his caravan into a park. It was dark and they couldn't see much but that night they slept in the park. Next morning they found they had parked alongside of a huge river. Unbeknown to them, as they slept that night hundreds of thousands of gallons of water quietly passed by their van. Sometime almost unbeknown to us God ministers and sustains us like a quiet flowing river through the Holy Spirit, through quiet, sustaining whispers rather than through showy or spectacular displays.

V. 5 God is in the midst of her.

God indwells His people and in Romans Chapter 8 Paul reminds us nothing can separate us from His presence. The church as we know it as a historical institution is not always faithful. The church is not always relevant or popular with the world or culture that surrounds but the church is more than an institution.--- It is more than a business with something to sell, it is more than a club or a publishing company, it is more than a social service agency established a hundred years ago. The Church as the people of God brings history with it. It brings thousands of years of God's dealing with His people to the present generation---because ‘God is in the midst of her.' The truth resides with His people. (Col.1.27)

V. 6-9 He is King of the Nations.

In our strife ridden world where people insist that they are in control verse eight invites us to ‘come and behold the works of the Lord. It is not our technology or power of persuasion or our wheeling and dealing that controls the nations. Like the and the calms of the seas God orders the nations and sustains them.

V. 10-11 He is the king of His people.

"Be still." Other translations say, ‘stop your striving' Moffett says, ‘give in,' let go and know that God will be exalted among the nations and among His people.
Jesus helped his disciples to face reality when he said, "In the world you will face persecution, tribulation, but take courage, I have over come the world." Once they were at the hopelss mercy of the worlds tensions but through Jesus death and resurrection they would share a new position. Jesus victory was their victory. Paul wrote to the people of his time and the Holy Spirit applies his words to the church in our time. "If God is for us who can be against us." " Be still and know that I am God-the God of Jacob is our refuge."

Rev E. A. (Ted) Curnow. 12.11.13