Psalm 46 this evening, I'm taking
the title for the message from what is said in verse 10. Be
still. Be still. Don't be anxious. Don't worry. That's easy to say. It's a whole other story to do,
isn't it? But be still. Wait upon the Lord. And again I say, wait upon the
Lord, be still and know that I am God. God who is God. I will be exalted among the heathen. I will be exalted in the earth.
The grand design of redemption is the glory and exaltation of
the Lord Jesus Christ, isn't it? So that's the title of the
message, be still and know that I am God. That was the message
in the Day of Deliverance when God parted the Red Sea and delivered
Israel from Pharaoh and his army who was pounding down on them. And in their hearts, Pharaoh
was going to destroy every one of those who had been in captivity
and who were released. And Moses said to the people,
They were up against the Red Sea. They couldn't go across
it. They couldn't go to the right or to the left or back. But Moses said, fear ye not. Wait a minute, Moses, are you
sure? Don't fear. Pharaoh and his army, he's got
600 chariots, his best men decked out with the sharpest sword.
Fear not, but stand still. He didn't say fear not and get
ready to fight. He said stand still and see,
see the salvation of the Lord. It was a message of deliverance
in that day and it's still the same message today. The message
hasn't changed. Stand still and see the salvation
of the Lord. That is, look to Christ, trust
the Lord Jesus Christ for all things. Now this psalm and the Word of
God, and this psalm brings comfort to the heart of God's people.
That's where we find, and that's where believers find comfort
in a time of trouble, The time when we need help, we find help
from trouble in God's word, don't we? All the promises of God. In God's word, in God's truth,
in God himself. Knowing that our God does all
things well for his glory and for our good. All things we know,
all things working together for good to them who love God, to
them who are the called according to God's purpose. The Apostle
Paul writes this in 2 Corinthians 4, where our light affliction,
which is but for a moment, our afflictions are light compared
to what our Lord endured. Light affliction, which is but
for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal
weight of glory. Our trials work for us. They're for our good. Whom the
Lord loveth, he chasteth, and scourgeth every son of him, even
receiving. This psalm was said to be the psalm that Martin Luther,
the old reformer, during the days when he was hunted like
a dog and they were hunting him down to kill him because he stood
against false religion. And oftentimes it said that Martin
Luther turned to this psalm to comfort his heart during the
rage of those who sought to kill him. And here's what he said,
we sing this psalm to praise, to the praise of our God, because
God is with us, powerfully, miraculously preserved and defends us against
all fanatical spirits. against the gates of hell, the
hatred of the devil, and the assault of sinful men who seek
our death." And he found comfort in the time when men were seeking
to end his life. He said, this is where I find
comfort. Haven't you found that to be
true in your life when you have heartache, when you have trouble,
that you bury yourself in the promises of God and read the
promises of God? Another preacher said of this
psalm, happen what may, the Lord's people
are blessed. Happen what may, the Lord's people
are blessed, they're happy and secure. This is the doctrine
of this psalm and it might help our memories if we call this
psalm the psalm of holy confidence. The Song of Holy Confidence. Now I looked up on Sermon Audio,
you know you can go to that search engine, and I looked up Psalm
46, and I found one sermon by Pastor Henry Mayhem, and he entitled that Message
the song of holy confidence, so I think he got it from from
From that old preacher who said this is the song of holy confidence
Confidence not in ourselves, but we have no confidence in
the flesh, but we have confidence in him don't we so let's look
at verse 1 God is our refuge God is our strength and God is
the very present help. So God is our refuge, God is
our strength, God is our help. Now, who needs that? Weak, frail,
guilty sinners. We need a refuge to hide in.
Now, like the confidence of which the psalmist expresses himself
as God, who is almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
God is our refuge. He's our hiding place. He's our
refuge. This is not proud presumption
or an arrogant boast, but the cry of faith, isn't it? It's
a cry of faith. God is our refuge. Any refuge
apart from the one God has provided is a refuge of lies. This is
the only refuge that we can hide in, the one He has provided for
us. That's where I want to hide.
And we know that the Lord Jesus Christ, He's that refuge, isn't
He? Christ is all of our salvation. He is our only eternal refuge. Hold your place there. Remember
Psalm 62. I call it the only Psalm, Psalm
62. I was preaching a Bible conference
one time, and I told the people to turn to the only Psalm. And
that's all I said. Turn to the only Psalm. And they
started looking at me like, yeah, what number? Well, number 62
is the only Psalm. Because that word only is repeated
over and over and over and over again. Look at verse 5, Psalm
62. My soul, wait thou only. upon
God, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock, my defense. My salvation, my defense, I shall
not be moved. In God is my salvation, my glory,
the rock of my strength, and my refuge is in God. Trust in
him at all times, ye people. Pour out your heart before him.
God is refuge for us. Three times in this psalm, it
says that God is our refuge. The Lord of Hosts is with us,
verse 7. The God of Jacob is our refuge. And that is, you remember those cities of
refuge that God gave Israel in those days? Those six cities
where the manslayer could run, When the relatives of the manslayer
were after him, he could run into that city of refuge, and
there he would be safe, as long as the priest in that city remained. Christ is our priest, Christ
is our refuge. But then it goes on, it says,
not only is God our refuge, God our Savior is our refuge, but
he's our strength. He's our strength. We don't have
strength in ourselves. And that word strength can also
be rendered, He's our security. He's our confidence. He's our
boldness. We have no power or spiritual
strength in ourselves, for we are weak, impotent, helpless
sinners. Christ is all our strength. Christ
is our strength of our salvation, is He not? Hold your place right
there and turn. You remember Psalm 27? Look at
Psalm 27 verse 1. Psalm 27 verse 1. The Lord is
my light, my salvation, and whom shall I fear? The Lord is the
strength of my life. He's the strength of my salvation.
Of whom shall I fear? The Lord. You see, He's my Lord. He's my salvation. He's the salvation
of my life. So everything we have is all
wrapped up in the Lord Jesus Christ, isn't it? God is not
only our refuge, and he's not only our strength, but he's a
very present help. Help. Help in trouble. Christ is our very present help
in trouble. Don't turn to this because we
looked at Psalm 146. But remember from Psalm 146,
I'll read this to you. Put not your trust in princes,
nor in the son of man, or any son of Adam, in whom there is
no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth
to his earth, and that very day his thoughts perish. Happy is
he that hath the God of Jacob for his help. That's our hope. The God of Jacob, He is our help
in time of trouble. And I quote this verse, and we're
familiar with this verse over there in Hebrews chapter 4, saying
that we have a great high priest. Let us therefore come boldly
to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, find grace
to help in our time of need. Come boldly to the throne of
grace, And that's not talking about doing something. It's not
a physical move. It's the move of the heart in
faith looking to the Lord Jesus Christ. One old preacher friend of mine
used to always say, God's people are always in trouble. They're
either in trouble, coming out of trouble, or heading for trouble.
Man that's born of woman, few days and full of trouble. Well,
Christ is our help in trouble. Do you know anything about that?
Trial, trouble, heartaches. And then the psalmist said this,
I lift up my eyes unto the hills, for whence cometh my help? You
remember Psalm 121? And then he answers that question,
my help cometh from the Lord which made heaven and earth. help. And we cry unto the Lord
for help in trouble. He is our helper. He is our comfort. He is our guide. God, I like
what it says in verse 5, God, Psalm 46 verse 5, God is in the
midst of her and she shall not be moved. God shall help her
and that right soon. Right early. Right early. And
I thought of that verse right early or when the dawn breaks,
God is our help. Remember over there in Lamentations
chapter 3 where he said, His mercies are new every morning,
great is our faithfulness. God is our help, our refuge,
our strength. Therefore, look at verse 2. Remember
I told you about the word therefore? It looks back. see what it's
there for. It looks back to what has been
said. Because God is our refuge, our strength, our help in trouble,
therefore we will not fear. Though the earth be removed,
though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, though
the waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with
swelling, thereof We will not fear. We will not fear. When we consider who our refuge
is, our strength and our help, this should give us courage and
confidence to rest in the Lord. Now here's the promise he gives
us. He said, these words have I spoken
unto you, that in me you might have peace, but be of good cheer,
I have overcome. In this world you shall have
tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome. Thanks be to
God who has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Though the earth be removed, I think we can take that to mean
when earthly supports are kicked out, when earthly supports are
taken away, Christ is still our help. When the mountains be carried
away or earthly guides be taken away, What are you going to do?
Where are you going to look? Christ is our help. Christ is
our help. Christ is our hope. Though the
waters of trials and flood, though the waters of trials flood my
soul. And that's what we're talking
about. Waters, trouble, roar. Though the waters of trials flood
my soul, Christ is my help. Christ is my strength. Christ
is my refuge. Though the mountains shake, When
our faith is tried, Christ is still our help, isn't He? If God be for us, who can be
against us? Who can be against us? And then
look at verse 4. There is a river. There is a
river. The streams. All these streams
running from this river. Whereof shall make glad The city
of God. The city of God there is the
people of God. The city of God there is the
church of the redeemed, the church of the firstborn. The holy place. Tabernacles. Tabernacles of the
Most High God. God's in the midst of her. She
shall not be moved. The river there, the river that
abundantly flows with the free, full favor of all spiritual blessing,
fertilizing, refreshing that yields and comforts relief to
the weary believer. The Lord Jesus Christ is a water
of life, is He not? You remember in Revelation 22,
He showed me a pure river of water, water of life, clear as
crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God. At the head of
the river is our sovereign Lord. The channel of that river flows
through the Lord Jesus Christ. The mouth of that river is God
the Holy Spirit, dispensing all spiritual blessings unto us.
He's blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in
Christ Jesus. And all these streams of mercy,
all these streams of love, all these streams from this river,
the river of life, the water of life, make glad the city of
God. The city of God, that's his church. The streams of the river are
the doctrines of God's grace that flow into the river that
teach us the way of salvation only in the Lord Jesus Christ.
This river shall never dry up, shall never be diverted, shall
never be diverted away from the city. Some of you were living here.
I wasn't living here when this happened. But remember, in 1977,
what happened over here in the city, in Packville? A flood. Remember, that river
used to go through around that city, remember? In 1977, there
was what, eight or nine, ten feet of water in the city downtown? What did they do? They diverted
the river. They took a whole mountain. They
cut a whole mountain. That cut through is very impressive.
I've heard that it's the second largest earth moving project
next to the Panama Canal. They moved, they diverted a river
to protect the city. This river of God will never
be diverted away from God's people. It's always a blessing to God's
people. Have you ever noticed, if you
study U.S. history much, When the western
expansion took place in the middle 1800s and they went west, you
know, they settled all those cities. Where did they settle
them along the river, didn't they? Pittsburgh, three rivers. Cincinnati, on the river. St. Louis, on the river. Kansas City,
on the Missouri River. The Platte River, all the way
through Nebraska. The Missouri River goes all the
way over to Montana. I've been there to the headwaters
of the Missouri. It goes all the way from the
middle part of Montana. And they followed those rivers,
didn't they? Why did they follow those rivers? Life. Nourishment. Water for the people. Water for
the livestock. They probably caught some fish
out of those rivers, didn't they? You see, these rivers were a
blessing to the people, and God's river of grace and the streams
of mercy, the streams of love will never run dry, will never
be diverted away from us. They're a blessing to God's people.
God is in the midst of her, it says there in verse 5. God is
in the midst of her. She shall not be moved. She shall
not be moved. To move the church, you've got
to move God. And that's not going to happen.
God is in the midst of His people. He dwells among the tabernacles
of the Most High. To have the Most High God dwelling
among His people is to make the church on earth like the church
in heaven. He dwells among us. He said,
remember, where two or three are gathered together in my name,
I'm in the midst of them. You remember from our study in
the Revelation where it says in Revelation 5, in the midst
of the throne and the four beasts, in the midst of the elders, So
the Lamb, as it had been slain, having seven horns, seven eyes,
which are the seven spirits of God, sent forth into all the
earth, in the midst of the throne, in the midst of the church, is
the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, that puts away our sins. His gracious abiding presence
shall never be taken away from us. God shall help her and that
right soon. His mercies are new every morning.
They're new every morning. Great is our faithfulness. His
gracious abiding presence shall never be taken away from us.
He said, lo, I'm with you always. I'll never leave you. I'll never
forsake you. No, no, never. The believer will
never be moved away from the heart of God. Never be moved
away from the heart of God. In Isaiah 40, he shall feed his
flock like a shepherd. He shall gather the lambs in
his arms. He carries them in his bosom.
He can't separate us. Nothing can separate us from
the love of God, which is in the Lord Jesus Christ. Believers
will never be moved away from the heart of God, nor removed
from the hands of Christ. No man can pluck them out of
my hand, nor from the foundation on which we rest. What is that
foundation? Christ. Behold, I lay in Zion
for foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone.
He that believeth on him shall never be forced out. That's the
foundation upon which we rest. The believer will never be moved
away from the covenant of grace or from a state of completeness.
In Him dwells all the fullness of a Godhead bodily and in Christ
we stand complete. God's in the midst of her. Well,
that's good news, isn't it? He'll never leave us. She shall
not be moved because we're in God and God is in us. And He'll
help her. We're his people, we're his bride,
we're his church. He will help us. Now look at
verse six. Well, the heathen rage, that's
all they do, isn't it? The heathen rage, and maybe some
kingdoms were moved, but he uttered his voice, he uttered his word. And the earth melted. The earth
melted. The heathen and the unbelievers,
they raged, don't they? What does God think about the
raging? Sunday night, Brother Mahan brought a message from
Psalm 2. Some of you may have watched
that program, Psalm 2, even though it came on ten minutes late,
it still completed the 30 minutes, but he brought a message from
Psalm 2. Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain
thing? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers
take counsel together against the Lord and against his Christ
saying, let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords.
He that sits in the heavens shall laugh. The Lord shall have them
in derision, then shall He speak unto them in His wrath and vex
them in His sore displeasure." God said, I've set my king upon
my holy hill of Zion. When He speaks, it is done. When He speaks, it stands fast. Turn over here, hold your place,
and turn over here to Psalm 33. Psalm 33. Look at verse 9, Psalm 33. He
spake and it was done. He speaks and it's done. He commands,
commanded and it stood fast. The Lord bringeth the counsel
of the heathen to naught. He maketh the devices of the
people of none effect. The counsel of the Lord standeth
forever. The thoughts of his heart to
all generations. Blessed is that nation. whose
God is the Lord, and the people he hath chosen for his own inheritance. He spake, and it was done. He
commanded, and it stands fast. By his word his enemies are conquered. None can stand in opposition
to his mighty sword of his word, or none can stand the mighty
power of God Almighty. The arrows are sharp in the heart
of the king's enemies, whereby the people fall under thee. Psalm
45, verse 5. Now, the Lord of Hosts, look
at verse 7. The Lord of Hosts is with us.
God with us. Call His name Emmanuel. Remember? Emmanuel. What does that mean?
God with us. God with us. The Lord of Hosts
is with us. The God of Jacob, the God of
Jacob, the God of sovereign love. Jacob have I loved, Esau have
I hated. God chose Jacob, loved Jacob,
saved Jacob. The Lord of hosts is with us.
The God of Jacob is our refuge. He's a refuge for sinners. He
saved sinners. He came to save sinners, didn't
he? God of Jacob is our refuge. Believers
can identify with Jacob, a sinner saved by the grace of God. That's
Jacob. God said, Jacob, your name, no
longer called Jacob, but Israel. where as a prince thou hast power
with God. He has made us, He loved us and
washed us from our sin and His own blood, and made us kings
and priests unto our God. Believers like Jacob worship
the true and living God. The Lord of Hosts is with us.
It says that twice in Psalm 46 verse 7 and verse 11. The Lord
of Hosts is with us. He's the Lord of a people. A
host of people. He's the Lord of His people,
and He's with us, and we're with Him. He's a God of salvation
of sinners, just like Jacob. He's our refuge. He's all of
our salvation. Now, look at verse 8. Come, O come,
behold the works of the Lord. what desolations He hath made
in the earth. You know, salvation, we enjoy
salvation by the grace of God because the Lord Jesus Christ
finished the work of salvation for us. He has made a desolation,
put an end to our sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And then
He maketh wars to cease. unto the end of the earth. He's
reconciled us to God. We're no longer at war with Him.
He made that war to cease. We've been reconciled unto God
in Christ. As my pastor used to say, lay
down your shotgun. Lay down your shotgun. Don't
rebel, bow. And he makes the war to cease.
He's reconciled us unto God. He breaks the bow. He cuts the
spear and thunder. He burns the chariot in fire. You see, He breaks us. He conquers
us, doesn't He? That's what He's talking about
there. And then verse 10. Be still. Be still. Be still. And know. Just be quiet. Be still. and know that I am God. Now I know I use my pastor for illustrations and sayings,
but he would often tell people, people who would come and he
had a very wide ministry, wide ministry on TV, West Virginia,
Ohio, Kentucky, even down to Virginia. And a lot of people
would come and sit and listen. Brother Lionel, you were there
many years when I was there, but back in the 80s, 90s. But a lot of people would come
and they would have questions. What about this? And what about
that? And Brother Mahan, what about
this? And you know what he'd say? Sit
still and all your questions will be answered. Just sit still
and listen, and all your questions will be answered. That's pretty
good advice. That's what God said here. Be
still and know that I am God. I will be exalted. I will be
exalted among the heathen. And that's what happens when
God saves us. By nature, we're heathens. I
mean, we're just heathens. without God, without hope, and
without Christ. And what he does when he saves
us, he exalts himself in our heart. And he causes us to confess
that Christ is all of our salvation. I will be exalted among the heathen. I will be exalted in the earth.
That's the bottom line in salvation is who gets the glory. Christ. God has highly exalted Him and
given Him a name above every name, that at that name every
knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord to the glory of God the Father. We confess it now, but
one day everyone will confess that He is Lord to the glory
of God the Father. They will confess that He is
Lord In that day, every man shall
cast away his idols, his idols of gold, which your own hands
have made. In that day, we'll cast away
every hope but Christ our refuge in that day of salvation. Fear
ye not, stand still. Be still and know. Fear ye not,
stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. The lofty looks
of man shall be humbled. The haughtiness of men shall
be bowed down. Isaiah 2 verse 11, and the Lord
alone shall be exalted in that day. Now be still and know, know
this, God is God. How many times in Isaiah did
we read, I am God, beside me there is no other. The only just
God and Savior. Now look to me, look to me and
be ye saved. All the ends of the earth. I
am God, beside me there is no other God.