Our Ever Present Help

Psalm 46:1-2a: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear...”

This Psalm is the inspiration for Martin Luther’s great hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.” The first line of this hymn states, “A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing.” Look at these words: refuge, fortress, bulwark. Those are places of safety and strength and defense and rest.

We usually think of those as places we run to in times of attack or trouble. However, look at the second part of verse 1 - “a very present help in trouble”. Last week we talked about God being in the midst of our lives. Well, here He is described as not only being present but being very present in times of trouble. We don’t have to run anywhere. Our ever present God is providing stability as only He can in a world that is so unstable.

I am not sure what today holds for you, but I am sure that God is your refuge and strength and your ever present help no matter what.

Monday Devotional Thought

Zephaniah 3:17 has become one of my favorite verses. It states, “The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.”

There are several points about which to be excited. God is in our midst, not on the periphery or outside of our lives. He is a victorious warrior, having already defeated Satan and sin. He delights in us and rejoices over us with shouts of joy. In the midst of a chaotic world, He draws us to a quiet, calm place with His love.

When discouragement threatens, turn to this verse and marvel at how very much God loves you.