In Psalm 46, we find encouragement for the child of God, even in times of great crisis. This confidence is because God is with His people, and He Himself is their refuge in times of trouble. He has a wonderful plan for blessing for His own, and this plan will unfold perfectly, come what may, because He is God.

In II Chronicles 32, we read of a day of great trouble for the people of Judah; however, we see also the miraculous salvation of the Lord, which causes His people to rejoice in Him. This account takes place during the reign of Hezekiah, roughly 700 years before Christ. As you may recall, Hezekiah’s father Ahaz, during his reign, had led the nation away from the worship of God, following closely the pattern of the kings of the northern kingdom of Israel. The temple worship and the priestly service had been stopped, and all over Judah, the people had been encouraged to worship the false gods of foreign lands rather than the true God. Because of this, judgment had already begun to fall upon this land and its people. But now that Hezekiah reigned, and from the very first month of his reign, this godly king had set his heart to turn things around in Judah. He had cleaned up the temple, removing all the filthiness, he had directed the priests and Levites to consecrate themselves and to resume the service of the Lord, and he had done much to rid the land of the blemish of idol worship. We read in II Chronicles 31:21 regarding the efforts of the king, “And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the LORD his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law, and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.”

Yet, despite all that Hezekiah did to clean up Judah and return the people of God to the worship of Jehovah, the clouds of war with Assyria were rapidly and thickly gathering on the horizon. The efforts of Ahaz to enlist Assyria’s help during an earlier day of crisis had only served to turn Judah into a tributary of the Assyrian king. Now, years later, Sennacherib had entered Judah and was marching with his enormous host, inexorably advancing on Jerusalem, intent on gobbling up this nation which he felt would be just another in a long list of trophies of war for his empire. So confident was Sennacherib of his ultimate and complete success over Judah with his vastly superior army, that he mocked even the Lord, and taunted the people of God. You can just imagine the scene from the wall of Jerusalem during the siege, with the landscape filled as far as the eye could see by this sprawling Assyrian juggernaut. For the defenders of Jerusalem who were thus surrounded, this picture must have been terrifying in the extreme! Sennacherib mockingly offered Hezekiah 2000 horses if Hezekiah could find enough riders among his relatively tiny host to actually ride them forth into battle against the invaders (Isaiah 36:8). Even so, the defenders of the city, by the reckoning of man, would not have been able to defeat even a fraction of this huge force which was arrayed against them. But, Hezekiah knew that God was with His people. He reassured them, “Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him: With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah,” (II Chronicles 32:7,8).

Hezekiah’s words in this time of national emergency are, to my mind, a striking example of the truth of Psalm 46 where we read in verses 1-3, “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”. The scene in Hezekiah’s time must have seemed utterly calamitous, just like the description in these verses—the heathen were raging, long established governments were crashing down in the nations all around, and the very existence of Judah itself was being threatened. Yet, in all this stormy trial, the truth of God’s love and care for His people shined brightly through the darkest hours: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble”. And, what was true for Hezekiah and the children of Judah in that day, is just as true for Christians today.

My dear friend, how is it with you just now? Perhaps, you are walking a path that is fraught with difficulties, where the days seem endlessly troubled, and the cup before you seems exceedingly bitter. Perhaps there are no great, sprawling armies arrayed against you, but the clouds of sorrow are mounting just the same. Perhaps the news from the doctor regarding your personal health, or that of your loved one is grim; perhaps your life dreams have been shattered, and you are left wondering what comes next. It may be that, like Hezekiah of old, you now hear the ominous sounds of an advancing host threatening to overwhelm you, and relief seems only a fading hope. Take heart, dear friend! The same God who overthrew the vast host of the Assyrians in Hezekiah’s day has His eye on you just now—“The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry,” (Psalm 34:15).
Though we live in very turbulent times, our God has a perfect plan for His people, and this cannot and will not be thwarted by any force or circumstance generating from this world. God’s Word bids us to look forward to the fulfillment of His purposes for His people. We read, “There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: He uttered his voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.,” (Psalm 46:4-7). The river spoken of here is not a river of water, but rather the river of grace and mercy from our loving God, even the God of the universe, which blesses and sustains His children. The picture here is one of our Lord, enthroned in Jerusalem. He is with His people, and no matter the opposition, the city shall not be moved! Whatever the present trial, we can be comforted to know with assurance that God’s purposes will be fulfilled, and the children of God will be blessed.

In Hezekiah’s time, the Lord delivered His people in a most amazing way. On this day of extreme crisis, God fought the battle for His people, without Judah needing to fire a shot. But, you may have noticed that we are not always spared the battle; and sometimes, our walls may even be breached, and we may feel we cannot long endure. Yet, the promises of God remain sure: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all,” (Psalm 34:19). The Lord has blessing in mind for His people, regardless of how grim the circumstances of the present crisis may seem to be. The children of God, and that means you too if you are a believer on the Lord Jesus Christ, can rest with a quiet spirit even amidst great trials, seeing that our Father’s purposes are sure. Though the heathen may rage, we can know that He will act in due time; and His plan never fails! “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah,” (Psalm 46:10-11).

My dear friend, if you are a child of God, then these words of comfort from Psalm 46 are for you. The same God who loved and delivered Judah in that day of crisis so long ago, loves you and has His eye upon you at all times. It is my sincere hope that everyone who reads these words is truly a child of God. But, do you know with certainty that you are His own? You become a child of God when you are saved through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We read, “But as many as received Him (that is, the Lord Jesus), to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name…,” (John 1:12). Will you believe on the Lord Jesus just now and be saved? I pray that you will. If you have believed on Him as your Savior and Lord, then you are indeed a child of God, and these precious promises of His Word, the Bible, are for you.

So, dear Christian, even if the present trial be great, “be still, and know that I am God.” May we have a quiet spirit, even in the most trying of times, knowing that “the LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” Just think about this–the same Lord who will reign supreme over all the earth, is the very One who is with you in your present trial: “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee”, (Isaiah 43:2).

A mighty fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing;
Our Helper He amid the flood,
Of mortal ills prevailing;
For still our ancient foe,
Doth seek to work us woe,
His craft and power are great,
And armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide,
Our striving would be losing;
Were not the Right Man on our side,
The Man of God’s own choosing;
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabbaoth, His name,
From age to age the same;
And He must win the battle.
–Martin Luther