God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. herefore we will not be afraid, though the earth trembles and the mountains topple into the depths of the seas, though its water roars and foams and the mountains quake with its turmoil. Selah
Finding Refuge and Strength in a Sovereign God
How does God’s sovereignty impact our daily life and how can that help us in our struggle with fear?
Over the past few years, we have gotten used to what seems like the earth trembling and the mountains toppling into the depths of the seas. We have seen more things happen that we never thought we would see in our lifetime. When things in the world or in our personal life start spirialing out of control it can send us reeling, causing us to flail in our faith. We know what we know about God, but we still wonder why He allows these things to happen. When we start questioning God and His sovereignty, our fear gets out of control quickly.
Psalm 46 begins with the declaration that God is the only thing we need in times of trouble. He is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble. Even though we cannot stop tragedy and pain from finding us in this life, we can know that we have a sovereign God who never leaves our side. Though we may be powerless against the circumstances around us, He is not, and because of that, we do not have to be hopeless.
Refuge – According to Dictionary.com, a refuge is a shelter or protection from danger, trouble, etc. God provides safety and rest in Him. We can run to Him and trust Him to protect us. He alone is capable of giving us everythikng we need. When we seek to find refuge in anything other than Him we will be disappointed and will not have peace.
Strength: - God gives us the strength we need to endure the trials and hardships that we encounter. We can lean into Him and He gives us exactly what we need.
There is freedom in surrender, and when we surrender to Him, we can live freely and peacefully in Him no matter what is happening around us. When the walls are coming down, when the bank account is empty, when a spouse leaves or a child rebels, or when the nations rage, we can trust Him and find refuge in Him. We can remember the works He has done in our lives in the past, reminding ourselves of His sovereignty and faithfulness.
What are you fearing today? What are you holding onto that needs to be surrendered to Him? We can find refuge and strength in Him and trust in His sovereignty. When we trust Him and His sovereignty, we can lay our fears at His feet and walk in that trust, finding refuge and strength in Him.
