Psalm 46:1

New King James Version

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

For Encouragement

Psalm forty-six is one of my favorite psalms. It has a gentle and sweet appeal to the heart that calms the mind and soothes the soul. When situations assail our peace and threaten our stability, this golden psalm, penned by the sons of Korah, is a must-read. It embraces the struggling saint with the strong message of God’s adequacy to sustain His children through dangers like natural disasters, national upheavals, and social disorders. Everything in the universe revolves around His name – God! (1).

It is in Him we find stability in crisis. The Psalmists proclaim the name of God and hang everything they need in their troubled lives on Him. They found safety, security, comfort, strength, help, peace, and assurance in God. Knowing God this way, they could trust Him in their distressed moments. Their deep knowledge of God flows from their intimate and personal experiences with Him throughout their lives. God was their only refuge and strength, the sole dependable Helper through times of need (v.1). 

When we face diverse crises, the first person to whom we must turn to find hope is Christ Jesus. He is the anchor that cannot fail in the storms of life. A strong affirmation of this truth can bring us peace and stability, even in our fears. The disciples of Jesus feared losing their lives in the violent storm until Christ revealed His power over the sea and winds (Mark 4:37-41).   

We must find refuge and strength in Christ in all circumstances. He is our ever-present Helper in trouble (Psalm 46:1). When the enemy attacks, we must take cover in Him as our fortress (11). The problems and pressures of this world can physically and spiritually drain us. What better place to renew our strength than in the Presence of All-Mighty God? What better place can we find an ever-present help than in Jesus?

As a ten-year-old boy, I left my father’s house in the capital city of the Eastern Region of Ghana to go to Juaben in the Ashanti Region, a journey of about one hundred and fifty miles. I had to transit through Kumasi, the capital city of the Ashanti Region. We arrived late, and all the buses to Juaben had departed. My elder brother was a cab driver in Kumasi, but I did not know his address. A taxi driver knew him and the only place we could find him. Unfortunately, he had left when we got there. I was in a crisis – a ten-year-old stranded in a big city and needing a place to stay for the night. The refuge and help I counted on – my brother – had failed me.

I thank God my Jesus is not like my brother. His refuge and strength have never failed me. Our Lord is always with us when suffering and sorrow assail us. 

I could not affirm this truth as a stranded ten-year-old boy in Kumasi because I did not yet know God as my refuge in Christ, but now I do. Now I know that even in my unbelieving years, His providential hand kept and guided me in critical times because of the doctrine of election (Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 1:3-5). By His grace, the taxi driver in my story invited me home that night and took me to board a bus to my destination the following morning. Isn’t God good? He is all the time. 

As His own, why will He not keep you and help you in what challenges you today?