Psalm 46 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 46 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Verse 2Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
Verse 3though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah
Verse 4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.
Verse 5God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns.
Verse 6The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.
Verse 7The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
Verse 8Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
Verse 9He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.
Verse 10"Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth."
Verse 11The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
Devotion
“God is our refuge and strength,” the psalmist writes. What does it mean to take refuge in God? According to one commentator, it means depending on God for forgiveness, blessing and hope, as well as trusting that God will provide.
In my walk to work in Jerusalem’s Old City, I see people taking “refuge” in many things. There are jewelers and clothiers who take refuge in the shops that provide their livelihoods and tourists who take refuge in their guide's knowledge. There are soldiers who take refuge in the machine guns they carry. There are the imposing stone walls of the Old City itself, which have provided refuge for countless people since they were erected some five centuries ago.
In this week of Reformation Day celebrations, Palestinian Lutherans will take refuge in joining their sisters and brothers around the world singing the beloved hymn inspired by this psalm, "A Mighty Fortress is Our God."
Prayer
God of refuge, you provide the strength we need to withstand life's turbulence. Be a never-failing bulwark for all those whose mountains shake and seas roar. Break the bow and shatter the spear wherever nations are in an uproar. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.