May it please Almighty God to bless us together this evening as we meditate in his holy word. Let's turn to the book of Psalms and Psalm 46 and we'll read the first verse. The book of Psalms, Psalm 46 and reading the first verse.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. We should be very thankful that we have the Word of God, the Bible, which gives us such clear and encouraging statements as you and I travel on through life. We read in this first verse that God none less, the ruler of the universe, the creator of the universe, the almighty God, there's only one true God, and this is the God that we have here, God. And we're told he is our refuge. Refuge means a place of shelter. a place where we can go in time of need and to think that Almighty God is our refuge. That should be very humbling and very wonderful and a great encouragement to us as you and I travel on through our little life on this world.

We should know by the many examples in the Bible and by the words of the Saviour in the New Testament, that the Christian life on this earth is not an easy one. Foolishly, we always think that the next day will be easier, but we're not promised that. We're told it's through much tribulation we shall inherit the kingdom. And it doesn't say It's just through tribulation. It says it's through much tribulation. We tend to ignore such words as that and think somehow that we can avoid them. Well, that's why we have encouraging statements like this to support us as we journey on, to have that assurance that in our pathway, whatever that may be, to recognise that God and none less is our refuge and our strength and a very present help in trouble.

We will face troubles, we will face times of need and to realise that here we have this great God who is mindful of us, each one of us, He knows about us. He knows our thoughts. He knows our desires. He knows our fears. And yet, you see, the psalmist goes on to tell us, because of that encouraging statement, he says, he had that humble confidence in his God and my friends we know not what the future holds the future does not look good really from a natural aspect just remember that God is on the throne and nothing occurs in this world without his divine permission And so he says, therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea. That's a pretty dire statement, isn't it? And it shows a pretty awful scene. And then, though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof, see thou.

Well, you and I should be encouraged by such statements as this. And as we read on in this little psalm, we're told God is in the midst of her. In the midst of her. Not far off. God is in the midst of her. She shall not be moved. God shall help her, and that right early. Oh, this is the God we have. This is the faithful God we have. This is the God who has promised he will never leave us nor forsake us. How encouraging that should be as we travel on, realizing that we face many difficulties, And yet here we have this God who is our refuge, our shelter, the God who we can go to, our strength, the one who will support us in every time of need, and then a very present help in trouble. Not someone who would appear later, but here it tells us a very present help in trouble.

So let us not fear, let us join with the psalmist and recognise that This God is our God. What a great statement that is. And to realize that as we read, God is in the midst of her. She shall not be moved. God shall help her. And that right early. Well, may your eyes and mine's be up to our God. As we journey on, none of us know the future. The future is only known to Almighty God. But how wonderful it is to realise that we have a God who hears and answers prayer. And a God who has prepared a refuge for us. A God who is our strength. And a God who is a very present help in trouble. What a mercy then that we have this God to direct us.

We're told, the psalmist goes on, the heathen rage, the heathen do rage, certainly. We see them raging in other countries. because they cannot overthrow God's work, how they would love to, how they would desire to destroy the truth of God. But they rage. The kingdoms were moved. Yet in his voice, the earth melted. And then, says the psalmist, the Lord of hosts, almighty God, is with us. If God before us, who can be against us? 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, Sila.

And so, we should be thankful today that we have God's Word to encourage us. God's Word that you and I can rely upon, as we mentioned in prayer, those glorious statements by the Saviour Himself, when He prayed to His Father, Thy Word is truth. There's not much truth in the world today. You and I can come to God's word. We can rely upon it. God's promises. We can believe that they are there to lay hold of. They are there to believe. And so to recognize what God says, the Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge.

So whatever scenes you and I have to face in a providential way, in a spiritual way, we must recognize the devil's always on the prowl, always on the lookout to try and destroy our faith in God. Always desiring to turn us away from God's truth. Always desiring to cause us to cast doubt upon God's promises and His word.

Well, let us remember the devil's always been a liar and we can tell him so. And we can tell him our hope is in the Lord God Almighty. We're not dependent upon anything in this poor old world. Our eyes are upon Him, our great and glorious Saviour.

And then the psalmist goes on, Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. And my friends, there are many works of the Lord, wonderful works that you and I can be encouraged by. I thought we'd just make mention of one or two of these great and glorious words which should be an encouragement to us in Chronicles about Jehoshaphat and we're thankful that we do have a record of God's great and wonderful work in the second book of the Chronicles and in the 20th chapter we read this

Jehoshaphat was in a difficult state there were great armies round about his little army it came to pass after this that the children of Moab and the children of Ammon and with them other beside the Ammonites came against Jehoshaphat to battle then there came told Jehoshaphat saying they come with a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side Syria And behold, they be in Hazazon Tamar, which is in Gedi. And Jehoshaphat feared. He was a natural man. He had natural fears like you and I. Jehoshaphat feared. What did he do? Did he go around counting up his men to see how strong they were? We're not told that at all. Jehoshaphat feared and set himself to seek the Lord. Set himself to seek the Lord and proclaim the fast throughout all Judah.

So we have good examples here in the Word of God. When we have problems, when we have people against us, when we have perhaps, it may seem, armies against us, we are to come and seek the Lord. And so, Judah gathered themselves together to ask help of the Lord. Even out of all the cities of Judah, they came to seek the Lord. That's a good situation, isn't it?

And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem in the house of the LORD before the new court, and said, O LORD, God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? And rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? And in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee? Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham, thy friend for ever? And they dwelt therein, and have built thee a sanctuary therein for thy name's saying. If, when evil comes upon us, as the sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, And of course was the tabernacle or temple in those days. And thy presence, for thy name is in this house, and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou would hear and help.

And then he brings it before God, the present situation. And now behold, The children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom thou wouldst not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and destroyed them not. Behold, I say, how they reward us to come to cast us out of thy possession. which thou hast given us to inherit.

It's good, isn't it, to trace out God's dealings with us and to bring those dealings before our God. Often we are forgetful about the way the Lord has led us. And when we come into a difficult situation, we forget to come and look back and to remind our God. He knows all about us. He knows His deliverances, but He will be inquired of by the house of Israel.

And so we're told, and all Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones. their wives and their children. It's good, isn't it, to see. It wasn't thought, well, this is only for adults. No, the little ones and the children, the men and women, they all came.

And then upon Jahaziel, the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeor, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation. He said, How encouraging isn't it to recognise that here was a great need in Jehoshaphat's day and that God raised up Jahaziel to tell them the position and what they should do and what would happen tomorrow go you down against them behold they come up by the cliff of Ziz and you shall find them at the end of the brook before the wilderness of Jeruel ye shall not need to fight in this battle what a statement Set yourselves standing still and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Fear not, nor be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord will be with you.' And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah And the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the Lord, worshipping the Lord. And the Levites, and the children of the Kohathites, and the children of the Kohites stood up to praise the Lord God of Israel with a loud voice on high.

Well, they hadn't won. The battle wasn't finished. It hadn't started. And yet here they were, to stand up and praise the Lord. They rose early in the morning and went forth into the wilderness of Tikal. And as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, believe in the Lord your God. So shall ye be established. Believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

See how wonderful it is to be given faith to believe in the Word of God. My friends sometimes in our lives God gives us promises and then we enter a situation and we perhaps forget those promises and we're in a desperate time of need. Well let us remember the example in Jehoshaphat's day and how the Lord appeared wonderfully.

And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord that they should praise the beauty of holiness as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord, for his mercy endures for ever. And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, which were come against Judah, and they were smitten. For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, utterly to slay and to destroy them. And when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every man, everyone helped to destroy another.

" Well we won't carry on. It's in the 20th chapter of the 2nd Chronicles and you can finish the account. It's a wonderful realization of the power of God and it's good to realize that the Prophet said there's no need to fight in this battle because God's fighting for you. God is a great God and whatever that battle may mean in your life and my life whether it's a natural battle whether it's a spiritual battle and my friends the devil is determined to slay us if he can but what a mercy if we have a confidence in our God and we believe in that which he is able to do well it's a wonderful deliverance that Jehoshaphat was given and what a mercy therefore for us today to be able to read an account like this because let's not forget We come to a God who hasn't changed. He hasn't lost any of his strength. He hasn't lost any of his ability to overcome the enemy.

As I said again, that may be providential, it may be spiritual. And don't forget the devil never gives up. But my friends, we have a mighty God who is so much more powerful than the devil. And he brings us into these times to test our faith. We walk through a wilderness. This world is a wilderness. This world is not our home, and we should never think it is. No, we're strangers and pilgrims upon it, and yet to think, no, we have a gracious God who is with us and is our refuge today, as he was in the days when the psalm were written and the children of Israel knew their God.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear. Now that's not a vain hope. That's a good hope. And that's a good hope, which is based on a confidence in God. Because what we can do is to plead God's promises. Israel had to plead God's promises. And you and I today are to plead God's promises. We come into difficult situations, but the Lord God Almighty has not changed. And therefore he brings us into these testing times that we might indeed be brought out of them and wonderfully delivered.

You remember, I'm sure, the familiar account of Daniel. Daniel, in his day and age, he had battles, he had opposition. You may remember that time when he wouldn't bow down and obey the commands of the king, knowing that if he did so it was likely that he was to be thrown into that den of lions.

But we're told in the sixth chapter of Daniel, now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed he went into his house and what do you think he did? Do you think he shut all his doors and windows and barred them and and made it secure so that he couldn't be seen, not at all. And he went into his house and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled down upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did aforetime.

Well, we see there a gracious and holy boldness. He had confidence in his God. Think of the opposition. We knew what the outcome was. would be taken and thrown into the lion's den and they were a fierce lot. There wasn't perhaps any possibility, naturally speaking, of being delivered but nonetheless he carried on and he wouldn't obey the king's commands because the king's commands that he should bow down to another God no he desired only the true God

and so these men that had come and got King Darius to sign this decree came and said hey look Daniel is not obeying you and he said he's still praying to his God and they reminded the king don't forget this is in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians which can't be altered? The king knew that. And he answered and said, That Daniel, which the children of Israel are captive to Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree.

And the king, when he heard these words, was so displeased with himself. With himself. That's good, isn't it? He'd done wrong. And he was so displeased with himself, and then we're told, he set his heart on Daniel to deliver him. And he labored to the going down of the sun to deliver him.

Then these men assembled unto the king and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is that no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed. So then the king commanded, and he brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, thy God, whom thou service continually, he will deliver thee. It's quite wonderful, isn't it, to think that King Darius should also have that confidence in God and confirm to him that his God would deliver him.

The stone was brought and laid upon the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet. And then he went to his palace and passed the night fasting. Neither were instruments and music brought before him. And his sleep went from him, and the king rose very early in the morning and went in haste unto the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel. And the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? That was a great question, wasn't it?

Then said Daniel to the king, O king, live forever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lion's mouths. They have not hurt me, for as much as before him innocency was found in me. And also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. Then was the king exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no matter of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.

same today for us in our little lives. God is faithful to us. He gives us grace to believe in his word and we're told the king commanded and they brought those men which had accused Daniel and they cast them into the den of lions, them and their children and their wives and the lions had the mastery of them and break all their bones in pieces, or ever they came to the bottom of the den. So you see how they were fierce lions, but God came and shut their mouth. God appeared for them. God appeared for Daniel, didn't he, in such a wonderful way.

God is our refuge and strength. a very present help in trouble. And God has recorded such amazing statements or truths in God's word to encourage us. And we should be very, very thankful for it, that we have those accounts to strengthen our faith and to therefore come this evening recognizing that as the Psalmist said, God is, Our refuge and strength are very present help in trouble. He was to Daniel, wasn't he? He was to Jehoshaphat. He was to the Israelites. And what a mercy it is to recognize that we have the same God. That God is the same yesterday and today and forever. Yes, we have a God who does not change and we should be We're very thankful for it.

You may remember also, just give you one more encouragement, and that's in the book of Samuel. It's about David. It's in the first book of Samuel and the 30th chapter. And this is what we read. about God's appearing for David. It was when he was at Ziklag and God appeared for him.

It came to pass when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day that the Amalekites had invaded the south and Ziklag and smitten Ziklag and burned it with fire. and had taken the women captives that were therein. They slew not any, neither great nor small, but carried them away and went on their way.

So David and his men came to the city, and behold, it was burned with fire. Their wives, their sons, their daughters were taken captive. Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept until they had no more power to weep.

David's two wives were taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. And David was greatly distressed. Well, we can understand, can't we? Greatly distressed. For the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters.

But David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. That's the place of refuge. That's the place of help. That's the place of security in God. David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.

And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought hither the ephod to David. David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them? And he answered them, Pursue, for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.

Now how wonderful it is to have a word from the Lord. That's what David had in his great time of need. And so David decided to pursue, and he found an Egyptian, a young lad, and who'd been left to die, and they fed him, and he revived, and he asked the young lad, was he able to take them down to the people?

And David said, canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company. And when they had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines and out of the land of Judah.

And David smote them from the twilight even until the evening the next day, and there escaped not a man, of them, save 400 young men, which rode upon camels and fled. And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away. And David rescued his two lives. And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, sons nor daughters, neither spoil nor anything they had taken to them.

And then his final three words, David recovered all. We see the wonderful faithfulness of God in directing David and then going with David. And we should not forget therefore, that we today are blessed to have this same God. who always has been and always will be that God who changes not. The same yesterday and today and forever.

What a wonderful truth it is to have such a God to encourage us, to strengthen us. We read together that beautiful 61st Psalm. It's the psalm of David and we see how he comes and he cries to God. Hear my cry, O God. Attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee. When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever. I will trust in the covet of thy wings, Selah. For thou, O God, hast heard my vows. Thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name. Thou wilt prolong the king's life and his years as many generations. He shall abide before God for ever. Oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him. So will I sing praise unto thy name forever, that I may daily perform my vows.

Well, in our little lives, I wonder if we are able to testify the truth of those accounts that I've just referred to and realize perhaps in our little life we've had the Lord appear for us. The Lord's heard our cries. The Lord's helped us. The Lord's demonstrated to us. He is the God, the Lord God who omnipotent reigns, who no one can overcome, and that by the grace of God our confidence is therefore in Him.

The psalmist comes down and tells us, be still. and know that I am God. Sometimes it's not very easy, is it? To be still. But it's good if God gives us that grace to be still. That means to wait upon Him. Pray unto Him. Commit your way unto Him. You may not know what to do. Jehoshaphat didn't know what to do. Neither know we what to do. But our eyes are upon Thee.

And my friends, if you and I come to Almighty God, may He truly be your God and my God that we come to. A God who has the hearts of all men in His hands. He knows the end from the beginning. Nothing is too hard for Him. Nothing is too difficult. He's able to do great things. This is the God that we come to.

Remember we referred to this morning that statement that God knew all about us, what he would do with us, before the foundation of the world, before the world was created, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit ordained who would be born into this world, what they would do, how they would act, what trials and problems they would come into, how they would be delivered, It's all ordained by Almighty God. That should be a wonderful encouragement to us.

But we shouldn't just carry on aimlessly. We should remember God's Word which tells us, so very graciously I will be inquired of by the House of Israel to do these things for them. We are to pray. We are to pray urgently. We are to pray fervently. Remembering his promise, the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. And let's never give up praying, even if things appear difficult, even if things appear almost impossible. We might think of that with regard to the lion's den with Daniel. We might think of that with regard to David, when all his possessions and all the families were taken away, but God knew what he would do. and that's exactly the same today God knows what he will do in your life and my life but be clear about this God will do that in your life and my life which will be for his honour and for his glory you won't be able to gloat over it that it was your strength or your ability or your ideas You have to recognize it all emanated from Almighty God.

And that's why you can come and thank him for all that he's done and praise him for all that he's done and realize how kind and gracious God is. In that 59th Psalm, which we read also, he opened with these words, deliver me from mine enemies. Oh my God, defend me from them that rise up against me. Deliver me from the workers of iniquity and save me from bloody men. For lo, they lie in wait for my soul.

They may do, but if God's on our side, They won't be able to overcome us. The mighty are gathered against me, not for my transgressions nor for my sin, O Lord. Thou therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen and be not merciful to any wicked transgressors.

Well, my friends, we know that God was gracious to David. And it's a blessing if you and I can trace out in our little lives how God has been gracious to us. And if he has, we shouldn't let those deliverances and those blessings lie forgotten in unthankfulness and without praises die. But we should indeed acknowledge his great love and mercy toward us.

And what a great blessing if perhaps we've been bowed down with burdens of our own self, our own making perhaps, our own sins, and realize, wonder perhaps, where the scene will end. Well, our God knows what he will do. And my friends, he never does anything in vain. He's always successful in the work that he does. And that's a very wonderful and glorious consideration.

This is the God that we deal with. A God who knows the end from the beginning. And we're told those glorious words in the 107th Psalm. He, Almighty God, led them forth. That's Israel, but the same to his church today. He led them forth by the right way that they might go to a city of habitation. And we can believe if we have the evidence that God is on our side, that we shall be delivered and we shall at last get safe home to glory.

And that's a wonderful prospect. and a wonderful situation to look forward to as a believer. Well, let us remember these simple words tonight. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.