Brothers and sisters in Christ, the Bible passage of Psalm 46 formed the basis for Martin Luther’s hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” what some call the battle hymn of the Reformation. As you’ll come to discover, the Psalm proves to be a powerful picture of God protecting His people. You may follow along with me by finding Psalm 46 in your bulletin.

“God is our refuge and strength.” The Lord Himself is our place of safety in the cosmic war against sin, death, the devil, and hell. The Lord is our strong tower. Our castle. He strengthens us in His ways for the evil day. In fact, Paul says in Ephesians six: “Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.”

God is our refuge and our strength, “a very present help in trouble.” That’s the absolutely incredible thing in regard to Christianity as compared to all other religions. What I’m about to say isn’t the basis for believing the Christian message, Jesus’ resurrection is… but Christianity as far as I know is the only religion in which God dwells among mankind. First, in the garden of Eden. Then, in dwelling among His people in the tabernacle and temple. Finally, the Word—God the Son Himself—became flesh and blood, fully God and fully man, dwelling among us bodily. God is not so far transcendent that He has no idea of what life in this fallen world is like. He lived it—for 33 years. He suffered the evils of it. And He continues to be a very present help in trouble.

Because the Lord is a present help in trouble, “Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.” This is a horrifying picture of calamity. The earth giving way. Imagine yourself standing on shaking ground, earth that’s totally unstable, ground that you’re about to drop into. Whole mountains—Everest, the Swiss Alps, Kilimanjaro, Fuji being shaken so terribly that they crumble into the oceans—the violently roaring, foaming, churning, destructive waters. Mountains trembling as the earth swells in agony.

You may notice as we work through this Psalm that it’s kind of, sort of, a lot, a mini version of the book of Revelation. The psalmist is describing the undoing of creation. The world is collapsing. It’s falling apart, as is revealed in Revelation.

As all of the calamity unfolds, it appears as though the Lord isn’t in control of events. But we must realize… and this can be very hard for us to readily admit… it can make us squirm a bit… that the Lord is very much in control of the course of this world. Everything that happens in all of creation from events in the utter depths of the ocean to events in the outermost reaches of the universe to earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, and floods—everything that happens, does so because God causes it or allows it.

But a misunderstanding of Revelation is that—just as Psalm 46—it doesn’t merely deal with the very end of days. It concerns every aspect of life from the fall into sin until the very Last Day of earth and the universe. What I’m getting at is that the earth shaking and giving way, the mountains moving, the waters roaring and foaming are also figurative language for the very real sufferings, afflictions, and trials that we all face in our bodies, minds, and spirits as fallen human creatures living in this fallen world. Without a moment’s notice, trouble can rear its ugly head and be thrust upon us. The seeming good life can be quickly dashed to pieces as a person’s life starts to fall apart, like a mountain falling apart by a frightening diagnosis, a devastating phone call, persecution that arise from siding with the Lord, unexpected bills, or the shame of one’s sins. Any and all of these can strike at once ferociously.

However, we’ve already been reminded that God is our refuge and strength. Therefore, we have no need to be afraid. God is our present help in trouble. But how?

This is one of the greatest truth statements I have ever heard: God doesn’t promise to save us from all trouble; He saves us in the midst of all trouble. We may want Him to promise to save us from trouble, but He doesn’t. Think of various people throughout the Bible and how God didn’t save them from trouble. Prophets, apostles, Jesus Himself—and the suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord is key. The same Lord who endured trouble for us and conquered is a very present help, making us endure through the troubles we face.

The psalmist declares our very present help to be a river. “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.” Imagine a river flowing through Jerusalem—God’s, where He lived in the temple. He was very present among the Old Testament people. When God’s people of old had trouble, they went to the temple, seeking the Lord’s refuge.

What is the river? It’s a source of life and gladness from God to the people. Jesus tells the Samaritan woman: “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give Him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give Him will become in Him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Jesus tells the crowd: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

Old Testament prophets such as Ezekiel picture this river flowing from the temple in the heavenly Jerusalem. A fuller picture is revealed in Revelation. The river doesn’t flow from a physical temple, because in the heavenly Jerusalem there is no physical temple. Jesus is the temple. So instead, the river flows from the throne of God and the Lamb. When Jesus said, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will rebuild it,” He was talking about His bodily death and resurrection. God’s people are once more gladdened by the Lord’s renewed paradise.

“God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.” God’s city turns out to be more than a city. It’s a people. The Church. The Lord, who is the refuge and strength of the Church, dwells with and in His people. Jesus says, “I am with you always to the end of the age.” Jesus says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Jesus says, “The gates of hell shall not prevail against” the Church—you and all your brothers and sisters in Christ around the world and for all time. Despite the earth shaking and rattling, despite the waters roaring and foaming all around us, the Lord keeps us standing firm. He helps as quickly as the morning dawns.

The Lord’s help comes in simple ways. Some might say insignificant ways, but do not make that mistake! The Lord’s ways, though simple, are the most significant, the most powerful, the most protective and strengthening. Inside the Lord’s refuge and strength of the Church, the Lord’s help comes in the form of words. Words of rebuke when you do wrong and words of forgiveness to comfort you. Words attached to life-saving, Holy Spirit-giving, Jesus’ blood-cleansing, baptismal waters. Words attached to sin-forgiving, faith-strengthening, bread and wine, declared to be Jesus’ very body and blood. God’s Word and Sacrament save and protect you from hell’s grip while giving you new life in Christ.

If you dare think God’s Words are insignificant, remember that the Word of the Lord called light into existence. The Word of the Lord called a blind man to see. The Word of the Lord called Lazarus out of the tomb. The same powerful, mighty Word of the Lord—stamped by Jesus’ death and resurrection—redeemed you out of the dungeon of slavery to sin, death, and hell, saving you into Jesus’ kingdom of glorious service, life, and salvation. God declared His Word upon you and you went from God’s enemy to God’s child.

A raging world goes on outside God’s mighty refuge and fortress. Don’t you see all the rage in the world? Wars and rumors of wars. Even in our own land. Anger, vitriol, and violence. Over what? Power. Perceived power. The people given over to the love of this world think they can either grab hold of power or at least be an influence to the powerful. Individually, we are all tempted to be the powerful of our own little worlds. Indeed, “The nations rage, the kingdoms totter.” Clashes of power will continue until the end.

Yet these are no match for the Lord. “He utters His voice, the earth melts.” God’s voice strikes fear into the hearts of rebellious mankind. The Israelites, standing at the foot of Mount Sinai, watching the lightning, smoke, and fire on the mountain, hearing God’s thunderous voice, said to Moses, “Don’t let God speak to us. You speak to us.” God’s voice melts the hearts of sinners, as His Law thunders His displeasure and wrath concerning sin.

What do you do, dear Christian? You need not fear. Why? “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” The Lord has redeemed you from your sins by means of Jesus’ death and resurrection. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” The God of Jacob, the God of grace is our shield and defense. He has saved us from His wrath and certainly saves us in spite of the calamities of this world.

“Come, behold the works of the Lord, how He has brought desolations on the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the chariots with fire.” When all is said and done, the Lord will bring peace to the earth. The raging, tottering godless nations will stand no chance against the might of the Lord. God brings desolations to this world that unbelievers cannot escape. While the world remains, these desolations serve as a call to repent and believe the Gospel. But on the Last Day desolations will be God’s judgment on evil and unbelief.

Right now, the Lord wants the world to receive His peace through repentance and the forgiveness of sins given through the Prince of Peace. After all, the Lord shows that He truly seeks peace with His human creatures in that He sent Jesus for our salvation. There will be a day when God forces the world to be at peace. The Lord will take the bows from warring mankind and break it over His knee. He’ll grab their spears and do the same. Then, He’ll build a nice bonfire with the bows and spears, burning up the warring world’s chariots. A day is near when He will force peace down the world’s throat in judgment.

So, what does the Church do in the meantime? “Be still and know that I am God.” We don’t worry. We don’t panic. We don’t freak out. We don’t try to force God’s hand in the direction we want Him to go. We patiently wait on the Lord. We rest. We be still, knowing that He’s got it all under control, knowing that He rules His Church with grace and mercy.

On the Last Day, when Jesus comes again in glory, what is prophesied in this psalm will come to pass. God says, “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” As Paul says, “Every knee shall bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” No one will be able to escape the reality that the Lord is God alone. All will willingly bow before Him, whether or not they want to.

As we wait patiently for the Lord’s final deliverance when all is revealed, we gather together as Christ’s Church and we remind, encourage, and strengthen each other with these words from our Lord: “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” Amen.