God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
Psalm 46:1-3
As I write this, the remnants of Hurricane Delta batter the Atlantic shore, the swelling sea propelled inland to the dunes by the tide and the storm. The continuous rushing of the wind and surf fill the air and the blue grey sky touches the grey green sea – a palette interrupted only by surging whitecaps.
I write this from the safety of a beach house snuggled behind sea-oat-covered dunes, and I am in a place of peace. This is one of those times when I feel God’s overwhelming love and protection.
King David, the likely writer of Psalm 46, expresses this same feeling after the ravages of war, and God’s deliverance of Israel from its enemies. “God is our refuge... we will not fear... though the waters therof roar and be troubled.”
Later, in the 16th Century, Martin Luther, the author of "A Mighty Fortress," paraphrased Psalm 46 in penning the timeless hymn.
A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing
Our Helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing
Luther was no stranger to the turbulence of raging enemies and a “world with devils filled.” Only a few years prior, he found refuge from his enemies in Wartburg Castle where he, in just ten weeks, translated the Greek New Testament into German. He, too, found refuge in the Mighty Fortress and His Word.
These are days when much is uncertain. We fear for our country and our world that are battered by strong forces beyond our control. It is easy to despair, yet we can take heart – God, our refuge and strength, is our help in trouble. By faith, we rest in his overwhelming love and protection.
God bless you!
Lois
