Jesus is Our Safe Place

we have been working our way through the letter of James,

but I was conscious that with government restrictions,

we don't know for how much longer we'll be able to meet

before we have to sort of curtail activities.

And so as much as I was enjoying working through James,

decided for today to switch our attention to Psalm 46.

So let's hear God's word.

You'll find it on page 570 of the Church Bible, Psalm 46,

and we'll read this whole psalm.

God is our refuge and strength and ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake

with their surging.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy place where the Most High dwells.

God is within her.

She will not fall.

God will help her at break of day.

Nations are in uproar.

Kingdoms fall.

He lifts his voice.

He lifts his voice.

The earth melts.

The Lord Almighty is with us.

The God of Jacob is our fortress.

Come and see the works of the Lord,

the desolations he has brought on the earth.

He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth.

He breaks the bow and shatters the spear.

He burns the shields with fire.

Be still and know that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations.

I will be exalted in the earth.

The Lord Almighty is with us.

The God of Jacob is our fortress.

One of those psalms that encourage the people of God

to strong confidence and faith in God,

even when crises emerge.

Another psalm that reminds us of God's protective care

that we're going to sing now is Psalm 121.

We'll find this on page 416 of our blue 46 in your Bibles,

page 570 in our church Bibles,

as we think about trusting in our powerful and gracious Lord.

This is one of these psalms where we find,

in this case, the sons of Korah confessing faith

in the heat of a battle.

And we're not clear exactly what circumstance

triggered the writing of this psalm,

what particular trouble,

if there was a particular trouble in mind.

As we go through the psalms,

we see various dangers and fears are mentioned.

Natural disaster, political turmoil,

enemies coming from outside Israel

to wage war on the people of God.

But there's no specific focus here.

And that perhaps is part of its purpose.

And certainly for us today,

it's part of its value,

because it means that you and I,

regardless of what situation we find ourselves,

regardless of what trouble we might find ourselves in,

we can take hold of this psalm and its truths,

and we can make it sing in our own hearts and lives.

So today, we're all sort of caught up collectively

in the trouble of the coronavirus.

But there will also be situations and circumstances beyond that

in our own personal lives,

at home, at work.

And there is truth, and there is comfort,

and there is hope for the people of God

in this wonderful psalm.

It causes us to ask,

can we honor God when trouble comes

by trusting His power?

Will we find confidence in a crisis

as we draw comfort from looking to

God's past acts of salvation?

Will we be among those who can stand confidently

on the promises of God

when the floods and the storms of life come to us?

Many people in our world today,

and we know this to be true,

are feeling overwhelmed,

overwhelmed by all the information that's coming,

overwhelmed by all the decisions that have to be made,

overwhelmed by the consequences of those decisions.

For us today,

will we give attention to God and His Word?

Will we find comfort and strength from His voice?

Will we listen to Him more than we listen to those news reports?

Can we catch hold of the character of God

and the work of God

so that we might have peace even when others panic

because we have found this place of safety

that the sons of Korah sing about?

For us in the New Testament age,

can we find peace as we look to Jesus

as our Savior,

as our Lord,

as our King?

I just want very briefly to look at this

in the two sections.

So we find a repeated refrain in verses 7 and 11,

which serve as section markers for us.

So in verse 1 to 7,

one big point that we can see the psalmist making

is that there is only one safe place

in a dangerous world.

The Bible is honest.

The Bible will say to us

that the world was created perfect,

but because of sin,

there's dislocation,

brokenness,

all is now not good,

and now there is danger.

But there's also confidence

and hope presented in the Bible.

We find it here in the psalm,

beginning in verse 1.

God is our refuge and strength

and ever-present help in trouble.

Here is the source of true security.

It's God and God alone,

not God plus our natural resources,

not God plus our opportunities.

It's God alone.

And sometimes it takes a national and global crisis

to draw us back,

even as the people of God,

to a simple loyalty to God as Lord.

So we have our true security here.

We are told of God as our refuge,

the refuge that we run to,

a salvation for us,

providing shelter.

We find God as a source of strength,

positively the God who is acting

and working for His people.

Not only is He a shelter for us,

He also acts for our good.

And in verse 1,

we're told that God is an ever-present help

in times of trouble.

God is always ready.

God is always willing to be found,

to be relied on,

to be our rock and our refuge.

We put our trust in other people

and other things.

Sometimes we find that they come through for us.

Other times they're not able to

for one reason or another.

God is not like that.

He is always an ever-present help

in times of trouble.

Our section alternates

between these truths

that we can find safety in God

and also sections that show us danger

in the world.

So the first of these,

verse 2 and 3,

there are pictures of dangers

in the natural world.

Therefore we will not fear,

though the earth give way

and the mountains fall

into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam

and the mountains quake

with their surging.

Here is a clash

at one and the same time

of the most unchanging

and solid forces in our world,

the earth and the mountains,

with the forces of chaos,

with surging waters.

Even when it seems like

the world is coming undone,

the psalmist is saying,

the people of God are safe

and do not need to fear.

Even in the midst of all the turmoil

of natural disaster,

the people of God

are known, loved,

and kept by God's care.

There is another danger

that the psalmist,

they refer to

in verses 5 and 6.

Not this time,

the raging of the forces of nature,

but the raging of men

against God and his people.

In verse 5,

God is within her.

She will not fall.

God will help her

at break of day.

Nations are in uproar.

Kingdoms fall.

He lifts his voice.

The earth melts.

So the picture here

is of a city under siege.

Jerusalem,

the city of God

under siege.

The enemies of God

attacking in their pride,

looking to do away

with God and his people.

But here again,

there is strong confidence

for the people of God.

Verse 5,

God is within this city.

ensuring that the people of God

will not fall,

ensuring the protection

of his church.

And in verse 6,

when God lifts his voice,

when God speaks in power,

there is defeat

of those rebel powers.

There is nothing

and no one greater

than our God

in all creation.

Therefore,

there is cause for faith.

Israel,

in their history,

were taught

to look back

to their time

in Egypt

when God

delivered them

from the hand

of Pharaoh

in his determination

to destroy

the people of God,

to remember

God's redeeming power,

to remember

God's good salvation.

And it's always good

for us

to look back,

for us,

from our vantage point

in history,

we look back

to the cross

and to see

Jesus win

that decisive victory

over sin

for his people.

But when these storms

are raging,

whether it's natural disaster,

whether it's the rage

of people

and opposition

to God

and his purposes,

where is the safe place?

Because there is

a safe place

in a dangerous world,

we're told

in this psalm.

And the answer

is pictured

as verse 4,

the city of God.

And that's a safe place

because that's the place

God is with his people.

It's the holy place

where the Most High dwells.

That's the safety

that we need to find.

That's the one safe place

for us

to be dwelling

where God is,

to be united

to God

by faith

in the Lord Jesus Christ.

That's where safety

is found.

And then the psalmist

goes on

to explain

who is this God

who is with his people

and providing safety

in verse 7.

He is the Lord Almighty.

He is the God

of power,

the God

of strength.

But he's also

the God

of Jacob.

And we've been thinking

about Jacob

in the mornings.

This is a reminder

that this is the God

of covenant grace.

This is the God

who in loving kindness

commits himself

to a people

for their good

and for his glory.

So there is safety

when we are found

in this God

who is both powerful

and gracious

when we make him,

according to verse 7,

our fortress,

our high mountain

castle fortress

that nobody

can penetrate.

God,

our only safe place

in a dangerous world.

John Calvin,

the reformer,

he said this.

He said,

if we desire

to be protected

by the hand of God,

and who doesn't

want that?

It's not just Christians

who pray

and want protection

from God.

If we desire

to be protected

by the hand of God,

we must be concerned

above all things

that he may dwell

amongst us.

For all hope

of safety

depends upon

his presence

alone.

To be where God

is.

To have God

with us

is where

we find

strength.

What is our hope

in life

and death?

It's Christ alone.

Jesus,

our Emmanuel.

There's this promise

here of the Almighty

Lord who is with

his people

and that promise

is fulfilled

perfectly in Jesus

coming to be

our Emmanuel,

God with us.

Now what did Jesus

promise his church?

He said,

I will never leave you

or forsake you.

I am with you

till the end

of the age.

So just as

the sons of Korah,

we are invited

to draw comfort

from God's

past acts

of salvation,

to look at

his strength

and grace

for and towards

his people,

especially we are

to look to the cross

as the source

of our salvation

and eternal life.

So we look back

but just like

the psalmist too,

we run to

the Almighty Lord

as our refuge,

as our fortress.

We run to Jesus,

our safe place

in a dangerous world.

The second section

is both similar

and different

where the sons

of Korah

are helping us

to see that

there's only

one safe place

from the judgment

of God.

In their psalm,

they turn to

a vision

of the future

from verse 8

onwards.

They're now looking

towards the end

of time.

Verse 8

and 9,

come and see

the works

of the Lord,

the desolations

he has brought

on the earth.

He makes wars

cease

to the ends

of the earth.

He breaks the bow

and shatters

the spear.

This is looking

to the end

of time

and it promises,

this section

promises peace

for the people

of God

but it's important

for us to recognize

that peace

comes beyond

and through

judgment.

there is that

recognition

within this psalm

of the suffering

that will be

our present reality

until we go

to be with Jesus

or until Jesus

returns

but on that day

there will be

peace

that will break

out

and will

never cease.

The come and see

language of verse 8

presumes that

the works of God

presumes that

the judgment

of God

are good news.

So as the sons

of Korah

are singing

they're inviting

the people of God

to have that

perspective

to see themselves

as those who have

been adopted

into God's family

and so they want

to see God's

purposes come

because when you

think about it

when he starts

to speak about

judgment coming

desolation

being brought

on the earth

that judgment

would be terror

and not hope

unless we knew

that our future

was secure

because of our

faith in God

in Jesus.

but for the church

there is certainty

being presented

here to give

us hope

that there is

a safe place

for us

beyond judgment.

there is a promise

that the raging

of the nations

against God

and against God's

purposes

will end.

There is a certainty

that rebellion

against God

in the end

will be

crushed

so that after

judgment

there will

be peace.

peace.

That wonderful

picture of

Jesus

and his church

together

in Revelation

21

comes after

the defeat

the destruction

the judgment

of Satan

and his

forces.

Peace comes

beyond

judgment.

And then there is

verse 10

be still

and know

that I am God

I will be

exalted

among the

nations

I will be

exalted

in the

earth.

Maybe you

like me

think about

that verse

in terms of

quiet meditation

here is an

opportunity

for us

as Christians

to be still

to take some

time to think

about God

and that's

part of it

but in the

first place

those words

stand as a

rebuke

to a

restless

world

to a world

that is

opposed

to God.

It is a

way to

say

you need

to stop

fighting

because this

is a

fight you

cannot

and you

will

not

win.

So it

brings to

us this

reality

that there

is a

God who

is good

and loving

and gracious

but there

are also

people who

stand opposed

to God

and want

nothing

to do

with him

but

verse 10

is also

at the

same time

the hope

of the

church

that great

hope that

God will

be exalted

and recognized

and honored

among the

nations.

It's the

great hope

of the

New Testament

church

the second

coming of

Jesus when

he'll return

with glory

and we'll

see him

and there'll be

joy on that

day and there'll

be deliverance

on that

day as our

salvation is

complete and

we spend

eternity with

our God.

Jesus the

one safe

place beyond

judgment.

And then the

refrain returns

in verse 11

the Lord

Almighty is

with us

the God of

Jacob is

our fortress

and there is

good news

that it's

this God

who is

with us

this God

who will

act to

judge and

to deliver

so that the

people of

God might

know perfect

peace with

him.

And this

truth the

Lord Almighty

is with us

again is seen

in Jesus

our Emmanuel

Jesus who

said quiet

be still

to a

raging storm.

Jesus who

at the

cross

faced

in himself

the storm

of God's

judgment

for our

sin and

guilt to

secure

our peace

through his

punishment.

Jesus the

one who

fulfills

verse 4

the one who

provides those

streams of

life giving

water as

he gives

his spirit

to the

church.

So as the

people of

God we are

united to

Christ and

he lives

in us

by his

spirit and

united by

faith to

Jesus we

need fear

nothing.

Our hope

is certain

our future

is secure

in him just

as we died

with him

so we

have been

raised with

him and we

will go to

glory to be

with him at

the end of

our lives.

Jesus the

one who

has been

exalted

among the

nations

the one who

will return

and every

knee will

bow and

every tongue

will confess

Jesus is

Lord.

Psalm 46

is encouraging

you and me

to make

Jesus our

safe place

in whatever

we face

and we

don't know

what tomorrow

will bring

in terms of

government

regulations and

what it will

mean to

our daily

lives.

We may

find that

we are unable

to meet

together as a

church for a

time but

here is this

wonderful promise

that cannot

be quarantined.

Jesus our

Lord is with

us always

and wherever

we are.

And we

may find that

our life gets

challenging and

even painful

in coming

months.

But we

recognize that

we have in

God a refuge

and strength

and ever

present help

in times of

trouble.

Jesus the

one who

continues to

be with

us and

for us

till the

end.

And so we

have in

this psalm a

source of

confident faith

even in the

midst of

crisis.

And may that

be true for

us, may it

be true for

our church, may

it indeed be

true for the

people we love,

our nation,

our city,

our world,

that there

might be a

turning in

the midst of

chaos to

this solid

rock, this

strong fortress.

Let's pray

together.

Lord,