back in Psalm 46. This was Martin Luther, Luther's
favorite psalm. During the days of the Reformation
when he was being persecuted, hunted, threatened by the Pope,
Luther often turned to this psalm for encouragement. Psalm 46,
And the words that encouraged him most was the very first verse,
which is repeated a couple more times through the psalm. And
that is this, God is our refuge and strength, a very present
help in trouble. It was the words of that psalm,
or rather that verse, verse 1 of Psalm 46, that Luther wrote his
famous hymn. It's on page 36 of our hymn book. A mighty fortress is our God. He wrote that based on verse
1. Luther said the devil hates music. That may be. He said the devil
hates music because he cannot stand happiness. He cannot stand
to see God's people rejoice. Satan can smirk, but he cannot
laugh, Luther wrote. He can sneer, but he cannot sing. And he wrote, a mighty fortress
is our God, a bulwark never failing, our helper he amid the flood
of mortal ills prevailing. And though this world with devils
filled should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God
hath willed his truth to triumph through us. The prince of darkness
grim, we tremble not for him. His rage we can endure, for lo,
his doom is sure, one little word This psalm is for all Israel
the same. I'll explain what I mean by that.
For all who are truly chosen of God. How do we know that? Chosen of God and redeemed by
Christ. That's God's Israel. Those are
the true children of Abraham. And then called by His grace. chosen, redeemed, called out
of darkness, and given faith in Christ. In other words, Christians. Christians. Those are Christians. I know the day that word is applied
to everybody, from those who bend to kiss the Pope's ring
to those who worship stumps and nature. They're all Christians.
Anybody who says, I believe in God and don't have any idea who
God is, they're Christians. No, no. Not according to God's
word. Remember what Paul wrote in Romans
9? Romans 9, verses 6 through 9? After he had expressed his
burden, his desire, his prayer, that Israel after the flesh,
his kinsmen, would be saved. He went on to say, don't misunderstand
my burden. Don't misunderstand what I just
said. Don't you mistake for a minute that I don't believe God's purpose
won't be realized. He says in verse 6 of Romans
9, not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For
they are not all Israel, which are called Israel. Neither because
they are the seed of Abraham are they all children. That's
not true either. But in Isaac shall thy seed be
called. Isaac, unlike Ishmael, was the
product of God's marvelous, miraculous grace. Ishmael was the product
of the flesh. Ishmael was born of the flesh. He represents
the unbeliever, the natural man, all but Isaac. He's the child
of promise. His birth was the result of God's
miracle working power. Neither because they are the
seed of Abraham are they all children, but in Isaac shall
thy seed be called. That is, they which are the children
of the flesh, like Ishmael, these are not the children of God,
but the children of the promise, are accounted for the seed. For
this is the word of promise. This is what God promised. At
this time will I come. Will I come. Abraham, though
you're 100 years old, and your wife Sarah is 90 years old, the
promise will be fulfilled. It'll be fulfilled because of
this. At this time will I come, and
Sarah shall have a son. That's a picture of the new birth. the spirit giving life to dead
sinners. Isaac is a picture of this. In
John chapter 1 we read, the Lord was in the world, and the world
was made by him, and the world didn't know him. He came into
his own, his own received him not. But, but, that wasn't the
case with everybody. But, John wrote, as many as received
him, that them gave he power to become the sons of God, even
to them that believe on his name. How? Why? What made the difference
there? I mean, what was the difference
in those who received him and those who didn't? Which were
born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the
will of man, but what? But of God made the difference,
just like he did in the birth of Isaac. But God came. That's why Paul goes on to say
in Romans 11, 26, so then, so then, all Israel shall be saved. All God's people, all those represented
in Isaac, All Abraham's true children, the spiritual seed,
they all shall be saved. They'll all be brought to Christ.
They'll all be made to bow. And you know what? They're glad. They rejoice that it's not of
him that willeth. They don't have an issue with
that. They don't have a problem with that. They don't kick against
that. Oh, they're glad that it's not of him that willeth, because
if it was, they know they would never be saved. They're glad.
They rejoice that they became willing in the day of God's power. That's the only thing that's
made them to differ from anybody else. All Israel shall be saved. Hmm. was for God's true Israel. Did you notice in the very heading?
Oh, it stands out with a gracious revelation just in itself. To the chief musician for the
sons of Korah. Korah, remember him? Along with
Nathan and Abiram He rebelled in the wilderness against Moses
and Aaron. And they perished because of
their rebellion against God's chosen leaders. They went down
alive, we read, into the pit, an earthquake. The earth opened
and swallowed them up. They went down alive, we read
into the pit, and the earth closed upon them. They and all that
appertained unto them were swallowed up, and we are astonished to
read this. This. There's a but there. There is an exception there.
Numbers 26 and 11 referring to that account, notwithstanding,
The children of Korah died not. Isn't that amazing? Their escape
from God's just wrath was due to the free grace of God. God who spared them when their
kinsmen were destroyed. They were made, as we read here,
to be singers in the courts of the Lord. To sing Psalms to God's
praise and surely, surely, how they must have sung with special
emphasis these words, therefore will we not fear, though the
earth be removed. Though the earth open up. They
saw the earth open her mouth and swallow up the offenders
of their household, their kinsmen, while they themselves were preserved
by sovereign grace. Surely, surely, I can just imagine
when they would sing this psalm especially. Oh, I'm sure the
tears rolled down their cheeks because they know, looking back
on their ancestors, they know the only reason they were spared
was because of God's sovereign grace. Oh, how they rejoiced
to sing such a psalm. And surely every redeemed sinner
that asked themselves this question Every redeemed sinner must do
the same. Who maketh thee to differ from
another? Who's made the difference? You
have faith in Christ, as we sang a moment ago. Oh, with His holy garments on, as
holy as God's own Son. Who did that? My soul. Who else? Who else? What other
garment could present me with that spot before God other than
the garments, the perfect righteousness of God's own Son. Who made you
to differ? And what do you have that you
did not receive? And if you received it, Paul
asked those at Corinth, why do you boast? Why do you brag? Why
do you strut? Why are you puffed up like peacocks
as though you did not receive it? Oh no, we must with the sons
of Korah. with hearts full of wonder and
God's mercy seen. Not have I gotten, but what I
received. Grace had bestowed it since I
had believed. Boasting excluded, pride I abased. I'm only a sinner, saved by grace. Tears unavailing, no merit had
I. Mercy had saved me or else I
must die. Sin had alarmed me, fear in God's
face. Oh, but. But now I'm a sinner
saved by grace. Suffer, allow, pardon me. Suffer a sinner whose heart overflows,
loving his Savior to tell what he knows. Just one more time
to tell it, would I embrace. I'm only a sinner saved by grace. This is my story. To God be the
glory. I'm only a sinner saved by grace. It's no wonder. that Paul went
on to write in Romans 11, in consideration of the difference,
the distinguishing grace of God in Christ. Paul, in contemplating
that, concludes the chapter with these words, Oh, the depth of
the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable
are his judgments and his ways past finding out! What a God! What a God! For who hath known
the mind of the Lord? Who hath been his counselor?
Who dare give God advice? Who hath first given to him,
and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, of him,
and through him, and back to him are all things
to whom be glory for ever and ever." If you will with me, just
two verses of this psalm. Psalm 46, primarily verse 10,
if we have time, we'll consider verse 11. A few years ago, my
great-grandson visited me with his mother, my granddaughter,
Harley. She dropped by on her way to
Kentucky and spent a night or two with us. And she, of course,
had Brantley. and his cousin Zane. Brantley
at the time is three years old. Zane is four years old. Three
and four boys. Three and four years old, rather.
They chased Pawpaw all over the house. They wore me out. Got me down on the bed and I
declare, I think Robin took a video of it, didn't he? I would have
bet that there was at least six of them. There was just too many
arms and legs for just two little boys. And finally, I wrestled
my way away from them and raised up. I said, fellas, fellas, time
out. Time out. That's what we're told here in
this song. In verse 10, time out. Selah. That's the best thing a child
of God can do. Time out. Take a pause. Here in verse 10 is the first
time out. See where God is. Take a time
out. Look. Behold your God. Be still. Be still. That seems at first strange,
doesn't it? In the light of earthquakes and turmoil and the rage of nature
and men, God says, be still. My father used to tell me, son,
if you'll just be quiet, if you'll just shut up, you might learn
something. If you can just clam up, you
might learn something. God tells us here to be still
and to learn this. Remember this, that I am Be still and know that I am God. It reminds me of another time,
remember, after the children of Israel left Egypt? Pharaoh, we read in Exodus 14,
drew nigh. He had a change of heart. The
truth is, his heart never changed. After they were gone, he thought,
what have I done? What's wrong with me? Why did I release them? Why did I allow them to go?"
So he gets his best armies together, his chariots, his horsemen, and
he goes after them. We read in Exodus 14, and when
Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes,
and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. And they were sore
afraid, and the children of Israel cried unto the Lord. And they
said unto Moses, Because there was no graves in Egypt, Has thou
taken us away to die in the wilderness? Wherefore hast thou dealt thus
with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is this not the word
that we did tell you in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we
may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us
to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in this wilderness."
I'm sure that Moses' answer to them must have shocked them.
Must have shocked him to hear. You know what Moses said? Well,
something's got to be done. No question about it. Every man
on board, every man on deck. No, that's not what he said.
You know what he said. Be still. Be still. Just like the psalmist
says here. Be still and know that I am God. Moses said unto the people, fear
ye not. Moses, are you serious? Are you
kidding me? Do you not see the Red Sea in
front of us? We can't go that way. Mountains
on both sides of us. We can't go that way. We can't
retreat. Here comes Pharaoh and all his
army and you're telling us to stand still? Fear not. Stand still and see the salvation
of the Lord. Be still and know that I am God. Stand still and see the salvation
of the Lord, which he will show to you today. For the Egyptians,
whom ye see today, ye shall see them no more forever." How can
that be? How is that possible? Because
the Lord shall fight for you. Oh, I like that. I like that. I tell you, our first inclination,
mine is, Might as well be honest. Might as well fess up. Is to
retaliate. Somebody does something to me,
well I'm... First thing, no. Stand still. Be quiet. Just commit
it to the Lord's hand. Stand still. The Lord shall fight
for you. What shall we do? Hold your peace. Just be still and watch God. Watch what your God will do.
See love. Pause, think about it, be still,
time out, time out. Ever feel like you've got, you
just got too much on your plate? Just got too much on your plate.
Oh, here's the danger when that happens. You neglect the bread
of life with all those other things. One thing is needful. That's what our Lord said to
Martha. One thing is needful, necessary, essential. One thing
you can't do without. And Mary has chosen that good
part, and it shall not be taken away from her. We're told in
Luke 10, when our Lord spoke those words that he came to a
certain village on purpose. Where's he going? He came to
a certain house. The Lord knows those that are
his. And he goes to the house of a
certain woman, a certain family. Imagine that. Oh, imagine that. What an occasion. What a rare
event. There were very few places our
Lord was welcome. Very few places. He wasn't hated,
threatened. God incarnate, the Word made
flesh comes to that particular family in Bethany. What a rare
blessing. And you know what Martha does
while he's there? She's out in the kitchen rattling pots and
pans. The son of God, she is so concerned about feeding these
unexpected guests, she's out trying to get a meal together
when the bread of life is in her house. And she gets rattled. She gets distracted. Oh, Martha,
Martha, you're anxious, you're troubled, you're vexed about
many things. Martha, remember, only one thing
is needful. You would do better to sit down
here with your sister at my feet and hear these gracious words.
This is a rare occasion. The bread of life is in your
house, Martha. And as I said in that article,
I love what Brother Henry said. I wonder if we're so busy going
to church attending meetings, and promoting religion to sit
at the feet of our Lord and learn of Him. I wonder, Henry wrote,
if we do not often meet together in the name of Christ and we
forget the guest of honor. Oh my, oh my, can that be done? Oh yeah, unless God prevents
it, it can be done. God, don't allow us just to go
through the motions. The promise is to those who gather
in His name. What does that mean? It means
to gather, feeling our need to worship Him, to hear from Him,
to bow down before Him, and to leave exclaiming, not with the
lips, but from the heart, Hallelujah! What a Savior! What a Savior! To be still, be still, and know
that I am God. That's the lesson of the psalm.
No matter what happens, whether it's the raging of the wind and
the sea or the raging of God-hating men, God's people are safe. That's the lesson. God's people
are safe. Oh, listen, listen to the words
of your great shepherd. Listen. Fear not, little flock. Don't be fearful. It's your father's
good pleasure to give you the kingdom. It'll please God to
do that. And God always does what he pleases.
He'll do all his pleasure. Saith the Lord. Donro to him
expressing it this way, be still my heart. Be still, my heart,
my soul, be still. The Lord performs His sovereign
will. He rides the storms beneath His
feet and sets upon the mercy seat. His ways, though hidden
from our sight, are always just, are always right. To His decrees,
all worlds must bow, and none may say, what doest thou? This
blessed assurance is enough. In every path, though dark and
rough, Goodness and mercy shall attend, my footsteps daily to
the end. I love that passage in John 6. There were thousands of people
had gathered, had followed the Lord, saw his miracles. And our
Lord is standing with Andrew, his disciples, and he looks out
on that multitude. We're told there were 5,000 men,
wives, children, 10,000 to 15,000 people. And we read, when Jesus lifted
up his eyes and saw a great company coming to him, he saith unto
Philip, when shall we buy bread that these may eat? Man, we're
told it was a desert place. Where shall we buy bread that
these may eat? And this he said to Prophet.
And I love these words, don't you? For he himself knew what
he would do. When I pace the floor, and bite
nails, and fret, and worry, and go without sleep, it's because
I forget this, that Jesus knows what He will do. He's always
in control. Nothing ever catches Him off
guard. Nothing ever takes Him by surprise. Well, Philip, He asked Philip
the question. Philip goes to Andrew. You know
what they do? They start counting their pennies.
How much you got Andrew? Not much. How much you got? We got 200 pennies. 200 pennies
worth. That's not going to do much for
this hungry bunch. 200 pennies worth is not sufficient. They're counting their pennies.
While there stands before them that man who is God, who says
he has power over all flesh, that one who is the mighty God,
the everlasting Father, that one who cannot fail. And they're
saying, what are we going to do? Jesus knew what he would
do. And he says, time out. Time out. See, Lord. make the men to sit
down. Sit down. Be still. And don't you love what happened?
It was as though that that meal had been prepared and planned
for a year in advance. Everything was so orderly. Everything
was done as though it had been planned for months and months.
Well, it had been. Longer than that you know why
because Jesus knows what he would they sat down on that outside
carpet God's nature And our Lord gives thanks breaks
the bread the fish gives to the disciples and the disciples to
the multitude and Ten to fifteen thousand people all ate and were
full They couldn't eat anymore. The Lord said, gather up the
fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. And they gathered up
12 baskets, one for each of the headwaiters, the 12 disciples. Jesus knows what he will do. And when they were filled, he
said to his disciples, gather up the fragments that remain,
that nothing be lost. Nothing be lost. God's salvation
is a salvation to the uttermost. Nothing will be lost. Not a hoof,
as Moses told Pharaoh, is going to be left behind. Oh, the Lord
Jesus Christ, our bridegroom, shall have a glorious bride,
without spot or blemish or any such thing. They'll all stand
before the throne of God, perfect in Christ. dressed in perfect
robes of His righteousness, and all singing as they waved the
palm leaf of victory, worthy, worthy is the Lamb. Oh, what
a day, glorious day that would be. Be still, time out, and know
that I am God. Know that I am God. Without question,
the greatest word in the Bible is God. It's used seven times
in the 46th Psalm. And he who is our God is God
indeed. From everlasting to everlasting
thou art God. You're always God. I like the
article in your bulletin by Brother Bruce Crabtree. A nation on edge. Oh my soul. Pandemic, riots,
looting, murder. Bruce said, I know we are sometimes
afraid, and that's just so. And I know sometimes our poor
souls are like David when he complained, why art thou cast
down, O my soul? Oh, but stand still. Stand still
and know that I am God. And he gives the remedy, Bruce
wrote, for this cast downness. Hope thou in God. Live in the
exercise of faith and hope, and you can live in the freedom that
your God in whom you believe and hope controls all things. Psalm 28. Unto thee, Lord, will
I cry, O Lord, my rock. Psalm 62, verses 1 and 2. Truly
my soul waiteth upon God. From Him cometh my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation. He is my defense. I shall not
be greatly moved. He only is my rock. On Christ,
the solid rock, I stand. Psalm 89, verses 6 through 9.
For who in heaven can be compared unto thee? Who among the sons of the mighty
can be likened unto the Lord? God is greatly to be feared in
the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all
them that are about him. O Lord God of hosts, who is a
strong Lord like unto thee? Or to thy faithfulness round
about thee? Thou rulest the raging of the
sea, when the waves thereof arise, Thou stillest them. Psalm 135
verses 5 and 6. For I know that the Lord is great,
and that our Lord is above all gods. How great Thou art! Whatsoever the Lord pleased,
that did He in heaven and in earth and in the seas and in
all deep places. Our God is in the heaven, Psalm
115, he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. And Nahum, the
prophet wrote, the Lord hath his way. When it's calm and people
allow him. No, the Lord hath his way in
the whirlwind and in the storm. And the clouds are the dust of
his feet. Wherever there's a whirlwind
and a storm, God has the command of it. the control of it, and
makes his way through it, and goes on his way, and uses it
to serve his own purpose. He has his way. His being God
is a sufficient reason. That's what these verses tell
us. His being God is all the reason
why we should be still before him. No need to murmur, to object,
to oppose, to complain, but humbly to submit. and know that I am
God. When we hear that God, the true
God, say that, that I will be exalted among the heathen, I
will be exalted in the earth, we need not be concerned whether
that will happen. It will. It will. I am God. It is that God that
is absolutely and infinitely perfect. He is that God that
is great. that is infinite above all comprehension. That God who is in control of
all things, that God who is worthy to be sovereign over all things,
that God that is sovereign over all things, that consideration
that God is God may well suffice to still our doubts and fears
in His people. Listen to your great shepherds.
I'll never leave you. I'll never forsake you. Oh, but
I feel that you have. Don't trust your feelings. It'll
never happen. It's never going to happen. Now
briefly, let's look at this second time out. We've looked at where
God is. Now look where you are. The Lord
of hosts is with us. With us. The God of Jacob is
our refuge, Selah. Our life is here with Christ
in God. In the 90th psalm, a psalm that
Moses wrote, he said, Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place
in all generations. Then how safe we must be. If
the Lord be for us, who can be against us? God is our refuge. In verse 1, and then there's
some peaceful, peaceful considerations to be drawn from that. Therefore,
therefore, if God is our refuge, if God is the very present help
in trouble, therefore, I will never be left alone. Therefore,
Christ has promised he'll never leave us nor forsake us. Therefore, therefore, if I'm
in his hands, If He's my refuge, if He's the everlasting God,
the mighty God, the Prince of Peace, therefore none shall pluck
me out of His hands. Therefore when Christ says, as
He did in His last will and testament, Father I will also that all those
whom you have given me be with me where He is, therefore I shall
see His face. That's the will of my great God
and Savior. I shall see his face. Oh, Selah. Time out. Pause. Think about that. Think about
that. Look at the first verse of the
psalm following, Psalm 47. Oh, clap your hands, all ye people. Shout unto God with the voice
of triumph. Let me close by quoting a few
stanzas of an old hymn. The writer said, a rock that
stands forever is Christ my righteousness. In him I stand unfearing in everlasting
bliss. Christ is my boast and glory.
All wrath for me is over. The judgment of this sinner,
it frightens me no more. No angel nor a devil, no danger,
fear, nor fight. No foe, no tribulation, no throne,
no power, no might. No height, no depth, no creature
that has been or can be can pluck me from his bosom. can sever
me from thee. Oh, Selah, be still and know
that I am God. The Lord bless you.