OUR CONFIDENCE
PSALM 46:1-11
Introduction:
Come what may the Lord’s people are happy and secure in Jesus Christ. He is the sure defense of the saints of God. He explained that God’s presence makes Zion secure from all her enemies. This is the teaching of this psalm.
I. GOD IS OUR REFUGE
Psalms 62:7, “In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.”
A. Israel’s boast was in Jehovah, the only living and true God, John 17:3, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
1. The Lord is the only living God, Jeremiah 10:10, “But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.”
2. He is the only God of Truth, Isaiah 65:16, “That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.”
B. God is a far better refuge from distress than the high places of the world, vv. 7, 11.
1. The Lord is with us, Numbers 14:9, “Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.”
2. The Lord is our Captain, 2 Chronicles 13:12, “And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.”
3. Who can be against us, Romans 8:31, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”
II. GOD IS IN OUR MIDST
A. He is in the midst of our camp, Deuteronomy 23:14, “For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.”
1. Our camp should be holy, Genesis 17:1, “And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect [upright].”
2. God will not dwell where there is uncleanness, 2 Corinthians 6:16-17, “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17- Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,”
B. God will help us in difficult times, Psalms 30:5, “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
1. He is the stability we need, Psalms 62:2, 6, “He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved. 6- He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.”
2. Trusting in the Lord, we are unmovable, Psalms 125:1, “They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.”
3. His help comes early, Psalm 143:8, “Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.”
III. BE STILL, AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD
A. Sit down and wait in patience, you believers!
1. Be still and let the Lord work, Habakkuk 2:20, “But the LORD is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him.”
2. The Lord will deliver the Philistines into our hands, 1 Samuel 17:46, “This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.”
B. God will be exalted in the earth, Psalms 21:13, “Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power.”
1. He is exalted as head above all, 1 Chronicles 29:11, “Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.”
2. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, Isaiah 2:11, “The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.”
C. The victorious saints sang with harps the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb, Revelation 15:3, “And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.”
D. In this song God is praised for His great deeds, justice, truth, glory, and holiness, Revelation 16:7, “And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.”
E. Who should not fear Him? Jeremiah 10:7, “Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee.”
CONCLUSION