The God of Jacob is our Fortress

Psalm 46
1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
8 Come and see what the LORD has done,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Reflection

In the fall, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church installed a labyrinth in the park outside of the youth room. A labyrinth is a prayer path that winds away from and toward the center in a circular pattern as you follow the road to the center of the circle and then back out again.

This maze without dead-ends is a representation of the Christian life. In life, there are times when you feel really close to the “center” (God) and there are times when you far away from the “center” (God). As you follow the path, no matter what you do, you end up at the “center” with God.

Psalm 46 is what is known as a “Hymn of Zion.” These psalms represent a special kind of connection to the holy place in the life of Israel know as Zion. It represents the presence of God on Earth; a place where God is always present.

In the early life of the church, many people would take what is known as pilgrimages to Zion, or Jerusalem. These journeys would represent the spiritual journey that all of us are on, that in some way we are all on a journey towards the “center.”

In today’s world, it can be so hard to remember that we Christians are all on a journey towards God. There are so many distractions or other “centers” we can feel like we are on a journey towards. Those “centers,” such as college, career, marriage, and retirement can distract us from the true “center” we are all moving towards.

At the same time, there are events in life that distract us from God, that pull us away from the “center.” These can be things like a death of a loved one, the loss of a job, a bad break-up, or the failure to make that team or group.

Psalm 46 reminds us of a truth that the evil one tries to steal from us. The first stanza (verse 1 through 7) shows us that no matter what happens in life, God is always present. He never changes and is our “strength and refuge.”

In the second stanza, starting in verse 8, the psalm takes a turn toward the future, toward a time where God will dwell with his creation, when God will finally cast away all evil and pain and be exalted over all the nations and kings.

Throughout this psalm there runs a promise so important it is repeated twice (v. 7 and v. 11), “The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

I hope that you take refuge in the fact that the God who created you is always with you, no matter what. God looks down on you and cares for you. He cannot take his eyes off of you and one day, you will not be able to take your eyes off of him. One day, God and his creation will dwell in prefect harmony. On that day, the LORD will be with us for eternity.

Questions
1. What have been some times in your life when you have felt close to God?
2. What have been some times in your life when you have felt far away from God?
3. Why do you think there are times that we feel close to God?
4. Why do you think there are times when we feel far away from God?
5. No mater how we feel, what is the promise given to us by God in this psalm?
6. How can we find hope and peace in that promise?
7. How can we as a family help each other remember that promise?