When the Waves Rage: Finding Refuge in God: Psalm 46

Good morning, and welcome to the preaching ministry of Dillingham Moravian Church.

My name is Pastor Simon, and we have the great privilege and delight to be able

to study God's Word together with you today.

One year, while crewing on a drift boat, we were out by the south line of the

Nishkek District in Bristol Bay, which opens up to the Bering Sea.

Storm hit us and tossed the 32-foot fishing boat back and forth,

up and down like a toy boat in a bathtub.

I was originally in the cabin, but it was getting so dangerous in there that

I had to get out on the deck.

I was thrown off my bunk. Metal cooking equipment was literally flying around the cabin.

And when I got out on the deck, I could not move around without being hit by

a wave and washed overboard.

So I took the example of another crewman and held tightly to the ladder rungs

to the upper deck and held on for dear life.

Thank goodness we were wearing our fishing gear because we were completely soaked

by the waves crashing into us.

There are so many times in this life that we may feel like a little boat that's

being tossed back and forth.

On the ocean, by waves and winds. And we feel like we're going to drown.

We feel like we're going to capsize.

But scripture tells us that we are to find our rest and security in God Almighty.

He is our stronghold. He is our strength in these uncertain times. Let's pray.

Oh, Heavenly Father, we come before you. We praise you and thank you for the

joy it is and the privilege it is to hear from you, to hear from your word.

Teach us, Lord, guide us, and may you grow us into your likeness.

Pray, Lord, that you would always be our strength and our stronghold,

whom we always rely upon.

In your precious Son's name, Jesus Christ, I pray.

Amen. I'd like you to turn with me today to Psalm 46, verse 1 through 3.

Psalms 46:1–3

Psalm 46, verse 1 through 3. The sons of Korah praised God by praying.

Psalms 46:1–3

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, and though the mountains

slip into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains quake at its swelling pride.

The first truth that God is teaching us today is that God is our refuge,

our strength, and very present help in trouble.

As I was pondering the concept of God as a refuge, I decided to see what the

internet came up with in terms of the world's most impenetrable ancient castles or strongholds.

The sites I visited all came up with these fortresses at the time.

The second strongest castle in the world was Le Mans-Saint-Michel in France.

During the tumultuous Hundred Years' War between England and France,

Le Mans-Saint-Michel did not fall once.

Low tide makes the castle easily accessible on foot, but the high tide,

the abbey, is completely surrounded by water.

These conditions both make a typical land siege and a naval blockade nearly

impossible. And for this reason, Le Mans Saint-Michel can be seen as one of

the most impenetrable castles of the Middle Ages.

And in the first place, as the world's strongest castle is a fortress in India,

the Maru Janjira is a massive island fortress located off the coast of India.

The fort is completely surrounded by 40-foot high walls and 19 rounded bastions.

It is only one sizable entrance large enough for multiple people and equipment to move through.

And within the walls, there is a well that provides steady supply of fresh water

as well as two huge man-made lakes.

The fort was besieged by several powers not native to the Indian subcontinent,

such as the British, the Portuguese, and various Arabic nations.

Even the mighty British Empire was unable to completely subdue the fort during

their occupation of India, and therefore allowed the castle's inhabitants to

govern themselves autonomously.

Although modern strongholds are way stronger and are much more technologically advanced,

my point is to show just how strong some of these ancient strongholds could be.

No matter how defensive a stronghold is.

There's only one place that is completely impenetrable, and that is right where

God is, because God is our stronghold.

In verse 1, the sons of cross saying that God is our refuge and our strength,

because He is our stronghold, and we are safe in Him.

Although Psalm 46 is a prophecy of the future, it is also a psalm of trust in

God for David and God's people, both then and now.

No matter what Israel was going through, God was and is and will be there.

There are three word pictures of the psalmist we're singing about.

The first word picture is that God is our refuge.

This denotes an ancient city that was a fortress where the surrounding villagers

and farmers would run to for safety in case of war or natural disasters.

And in these fortresses, the walls were thick, strong, and high,

which provided shelter against attack and strong defensive capabilities.

Sieges, even the most well-prepared and largest armies, often took months to

break through the city's defenses.

And David pointed out that God is a fortified city, that we,

you and I, as Christians can run to, which will never be overcome.

In Psalm 62, verse 2, David prayed, He, meaning God, only is my rock and salvation,

Psalms 62:2

my stronghold, I shall not be greatly shaken.

I'd like you to notice a progression of David's in this song.

In verse 2, David's saying that God is his stronghold, that he will not be greatly shaken.

And then in verse 6, David wrote again that God is his stronghold,

that he will not be shaken at all.

And what David was acknowledging is the reality that there will be times in

life that will shake us, that will turn our lives up and down and threaten to shake our faith.

But the faithful follower will not be greatly shaken. And the more we as Christ

followers believe the truth of our security in God, out of his great love for

us, the less and less other disasters will shake us.

The second picture that David portrayed about God was that God is our strength.

The word for strength or might related to the concept of God as their stronghold for defense.

God in this instance displayed his all-powerful strength by defending and protecting

his people as a stronghold such as a refuge city.

There's definitely within this concept that God protects us physically,

that God is with us protecting us.

And yet there are so many circumstances that God allows believers to go through

tremendous trials and horrible sufferings for his glory.

Christ Jesus himself told Paul amidst the trial that he would not take the suffering

away, but rather that Paul was to trust that Christ's grace was sufficient for

him and that Christ's power was made perfect in weakness.

And therefore, there must be a spiritual component to God's defense of his people.

In Jesus Christ, our God, we are perfectly safe in him, and no force on earth

can take away our salvation and spiritually harm us when we are in him.

Again, this doesn't mean that bad things do not happen, but if we are in Christ,

we will be content in him throughout all situations.

Spiritually, we are safe in God. We can be completely confident in him.

The third word picture that the psalmist used was a very present help.

This term teaches us the Lord is a helper,

is standing with us in our present situation, but that God is also a proven

help, meaning that God has never let his people down ever, whether individually or corporately.

God is always faithful. God is always reliable.

And as Deuteronomy 4, verse 7 proclaimed, for what great nation is there that

Deuteronomy 4:7

has a God so near as is the Lord our God whenever we call on him?

In Psalm 145, verse 18, Psalmist proclaimed, the Lord is near to all who call

Psalms 145:18

upon him, to all who call upon him in truth.

God is the strength and help for his people as they went through trials.

God's people can and must run to him and will be safe in him.

What do these truths mean to us as Christians? The truth we can apply to ourselves

is that God is our strong refuge that we are to run to.

What does this mean for us to run to God in the midst of grief and sorrow and trials?

How can we run to God when emotionally and physically we feel overwhelmed or worn down?

Please listen to this. God is teaching

us that we must remind ourselves the truth

That God is always standing with us in

all situations Even in our present trials

We must preach to ourselves the truth That God is with us And He is always reliable

And we need to keep preaching to ourselves Until we believe it in our hearts

and emotions Then follow suit In the scripture,

thankfulness often precedes joy Therefore, I encourage all of us to preach to

ourselves what we have to be thankful for in Christ Write them down,

speak them out loud, sing it God has designed his truth to be processed in the

mind and empowered by the Holy Spirit That governs our emotions and actions

And just as a physical healing is a process and takes time,

so also a spiritual growth and healing is a process that can take time and it can be very hard.

There are times when all we can do is put one step in front of the other as

we trust and believe Christ, as we obey Christ one moment at a time.

Emotions are very powerful feelings, very powerful motivators,

but they can be controlled and channeled to produce amazing works for Christ's kingdom.

But we can't accomplish this on our own. We can by the power of God.

Remember what Paul wrote in Timothy, or 2 Timothy rather, in 2 Timothy 1,

2 Timothy 1:7

verse 7. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power,

love, and discipline, or self-control.

The Holy Spirit is living and working in us, and He is not weak.

He is strong, and He's completely self-controlled.

Paul also promised that as Christians we can do all things in Him who strengthens

us, Even if it means conquering addictions, grieving with hope and joyful peace,

and being victorious through sickness and persecution.

So far we have learned from this psalm that God is our refuge.

The only completely impenetrable fortress in the universe is God, and He is our strength.

He is our very present help in time of trouble. Moreover, as disciples of Christ,

we will not fear disasters because God is our refuge He is our strength He is our very present help.

Hawaii's Kilauea volcano erupted on March 10, 2026 With lava spewing as much

as 1,300 feet or 400 meters in the air,

The eruption produced tephra, a mix of fragmented volcanic dash, rock, and ash.

Tephra blanketed neighboring communities and accumulated between 4 to 12 inches in some locations.

The eruption destroyed Hawaii's natural freshwater lake, covered substantial

portions of Leilani Estates or Lanipuna Gardens,

and destroyed the communities of Kapoho,

Vacationland Hawaii, and most of Kapoho Beach's beach lots.

The county of Hawaii reported 716 dwellings destroyed.

An estimated 14 million cubic yards of lava erupted during Kilaua's volcano

fiery display over the weekend.

Katie Mulliken, a geologist at the U.S.

Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, says that 14 million cubic

yards, or 10.6 million cubic meters.

Is the volume of about 4,500 Olympic swimming pools and 2,000 Goodyear blimps.

As a comparison, there is 3.25 million cubic yards of concrete in the Hoover

Dam and 4.3 million cubic yards of concrete in the dam.

The power plant and the apartment works, according to the U.S.

Bureau of Reclamation. And that's enough concrete to pave a standard highway,

and please listen to this,

to pave a standard highway 16 feet wide and from San Francisco to New York City.

And last week's eruption of Hawaii spewed out almost double that amount!!

My point with using this illustration is that natural disasters can have such

power, and yet God is greater, and He is infinitely more powerful.

The sons of Korok continued in Psalm 46, verses 2-3.

Psalms 46:2–3

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change or quake,

and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar

and foam, though the mountains quake at the swelling pride. Thank you.

The psalmist gave us three more word pictures regarding natural disasters in these verses.

Earthquakes, volcanoes, and stormy seas. Verses 2-3 are a strong encouragement

for us as believers that we need not fear when disasters happen to the earth.

Because God is our stronghold that we, you and I, can run into.

For example, the largest earthquake ever recorded was the magnitude of 9.5 Valdiva

earthquake in Chile on May 22, 1960,

which struck with a 1,000-kilometer-long rupture.

It triggered a massive tsunami, leaving 2 million people homeless and killing over 1,600 people.

The quake lasted roughly 10 minutes, generating massive far-reaching tsunamis

The Lord said to Israel in Isaiah 43, verse 1 to 3 But now thus says the Lord, your Creator, O Jacob.

Isaiah 43:1–3

He who formed you, O Israel This is what I want you to hear Do not fear,

for I have redeemed you I have called you by name You are mine When you pass through the waters,

I will be with you, and through the rivers they will not overflow you.

And when you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched,

nor will the flame burn you.

For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

You see, Psalm 46 was also a prophecy of what will come in the end times.

And in Revelation 8, verses 5-10, God, through John, foretold.

Revelation 8:5–10

The angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar and threw it to the earth.

They were following peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

And seven angels had seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

The first sounded, and there came up hail and fire mixed with blood,

and they were thrown to the earth,

and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned

up, and all the green grass was burned.

The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire

was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood.

Third of the creatures were in the stars, fell from heaven, burning like a torch.

It fell on the third of the rivers and on the springs of waters.

One day Christ will return, and the sins of the earth will be judged,

and the wicked will be destroyed forever.

God will destroy the earth. And whether or not we are raptured before this event

or afterwards, I believe, and I believe we will be raptured.

There will be Jews that convert to Christ during the tribulation,

and the people of God who will be living during this destruction can turn to

God as their refuge and strength.

Just as the people of the countryside run to the fortress when an evading army

attacks, so God is the one they can run to as they cling to their faith in the Lord.

As Christians, how do we not fear the circumstances around us?

We live without fear by trusting and believing that God is with us,

that He is our stronghold.

And not only is God with us and is our stronghold, but God in Christ is coming back.

Christ will return and overcome the nations.

God will destroy the earth and remake it. God will set His people to rule and

live in a world without pain or suffering or death.

In Isaiah chapter 11 verse 6 through

Isaiah 11:6–10

10 God foretold the second coming of

Jesus Christ The righteous branch who

will come in the spirit of the Lord Christ will

rule the earth with fairness and righteousness And

this is what Isaiah says Verse 6

And the wolf will dwell down or dwell

with the lamb And the leopard will lie down with the

young goat And the calf and

the young lion and the fatling together And the

little boy will lead them Also the cow

and the bear will graze And the young will lie down together

And the lion will eat straw like an

ox The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra And the weaned child

will put his hand on the viper's den They will not hurt or destroy in all my

holy mountain Says the Lord as the water covers the sea.

I just love that. Let me say that again. For the earth will be full of the knowledge

of the Lord as the water covers the sea.

No matter the circumstance, we can hope in God because of the confidence that

we have that Christ will return.

There will be no more sin and death. And because of sin and death, we will be gone forever.

All of creation will be restored to the way it was designed to be.

There will be no more cancer, no flus, no diseases, no more drug and alcohol

abuse or suicides, no more heartache.

And best of all, our sin natures will be removed and we'll not have to battle

with temptation to sin anymore.

I'm looking forward to that.

We don't need to fear any circumstance because God Almighty is with us now and

He is returning. and He, the Lord of all the universe, will dwell with us.

God has revealed to us today that He is our refuge, the only completely impenetrable

fortress in the universe where we can run to and be completely saved.

God is our strength and very present help in times of trouble.

We've also learned that as Christians, we can live without fear by trusting

and believing that God is with us.

We can live with courage by trusting that He is our stronghold.

We can live with courage and peace because we are absolutely convinced of the

truth that God in Christ is coming back.

But the question is that you and I have to ask ourselves is how much do we trust God?

It is easy to believe God in the good times.

But in the hard times, times of pain, that is much more challenging.

The Christian life is all about living by faith in Christ. And the more we trust

God and believe his promises, the more we can live without fear and be able

to run to God even in the hard times.

Let us pray. Father, we thank you for the privilege it is to be able to hear

from you, hear your word.

Lord God, we ask you that we and all who are listening to this message would

be able to draw strength from you and cling to you as our only stronghold.

May we run to you and may you

be our strength and present help

in time of trouble always in your

precious son's name Jesus Christ. I pray amen. I'll

leave you with this blessing from Ephesians chapter 3 verse 20 to 21 now to

Ephesians 3:20–21

him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think according

to the power at work within us to him be the glory in the church and in Christ

Jesus throughout all generations,

forever and ever. Amen.

Have a wonderful Sunday. May the Lord bless you all. Koyana.