IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth should change, and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. (Psalm 46:1-3)

Theologically rich hymns of the faith have sustained the saints down through the ages. Tried and found wholly true, so many of our hymns were written by those amidst turbulent storms of life. How does one say with confidence, “When peace like a river, attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll—whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, it is well with my soul.” Or, “A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing…” The Psalms are overflowing with a firm foundation of truths that will hold us in any storm we may face in this life.

I have lived in the Psalms during my hardest times. They are a refuge for me. Did you ever have one of your children, frightened by the dark night, run into your room, crawl underneath the covers seeking refuge in the strong protection of her father’s arms? Whether my needs are emotional, physical, or spiritual, when I am tempted to anxiously look around at my unsettling circumstances, the Lord has taught me to run to the Psalms and stay there for as long as I need. There, my Father floods my soul with peace and the strength to rest in Him. For next several posts, I want to look at Psalm 46 breaking it down bit by bit.

God is our refuge and strength. Refuge is a place of shelter. God never moves. So, we can know where to find Him. He is the place to run to for strength in troubled times. In life, we all have certain “people” we turn to for help. But what happens when we don’t have access to those people? I faced that situation in prison. As I look back, I am so thankful for the circumstances that forced me to seek the only refuge I knew was certain and sure.

Right now, in this pandemic, we see trouble all around us. We still have access to our “people” electronically, for the most part. But we, as believers, must recognize the fact that the greatest trouble we face is not in our circumstances—no matter what they may be. The greatest trouble we face in this life is the doubts and fears that target our minds. Realistically, people can only help us as they point us to the only true refuge. God is the place of strength because He is the source of strength. Psalm 18:1-2 says: I love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

A very present help in trouble. As a believer matures, she learns to recognize her need for God’s help in everything. But all people recognize their need for help in seriously troubled times. The question is where they run to get it. The believer learns to turn and run to God as a child instinctively turns and runs to her Daddy. So often when storm clouds first break over our heads, we get the feeling that God has abandoned us—we don’t feel His presence. We must never trust our feelings, but always sift them through the Word of truth. This verse says that He is a very (emphatic) present help in trouble. He is with you, even when your emotions are strongly telling you otherwise.

There was a song I grew up with that said, “When you're down and troubled, and you need a helping hand and nothing is going right, close your eyes and think of me and soon I will be there to brighten up even your darkest night. All you gotta do is call, and I’ll coming running. Ain’t it good to know you’ve got a friend?” Believers have a friend who sticks closer than a brother. He’s always with you. We have no reason to ever doubt His presence.

Present literally means “has been found”. There is an element of confident assurance and faith in this word based upon past experience. He has proved Himself faithful to be a help in trouble. He’s “findable”, not hiding. Because we know this truth from firsthand testing…

Therefore, we will not fear. Psalm 56:3 says: When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. I like these strong statements of faith. It reminds me of Habakkuk 3:17-19. The prophet says that even though all these things should happen, “…yet I will exult in the Lord. I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, and makes me walk on my high places.” How can Habakkuk make these bold assertions? Because He knows His God! Because the Lord is His strength, He knows that He will lift him above His circumstances to walk on his high places. Notice that he knows the Lord will keep him as he walks through trials. Our Lord never promises to remove situations from our lives that are there for our testing, to prove our faith. But He does promise to be with us.

The Psalmist is saying the same thing in reverse. The formidable aspects of God’s magnificent creation that inspire awe in us for our Creator—the earth, the sea, and the mountains—even though they change, He controls all. We fear the greatness of the Lord when we imagine the depths of the ocean, each grain of sand on the shore, the height of the mountains, the massive universe in relation to our small earth. This is our God! This is our Father! He, alone, is to be feared. He alone can be trusted.

John 16:33 Jesus told His disciples: These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world. Those whose focus is on this world instead of the eternal will have no peace. Job says in Job 5:7 that man is born for trouble as sparks fly upward.

In Matthew 14 the disciples are in the middle of the sea being battered by the waves as they battle the wind. When Jesus comes toward them walking on the water, they are terrified and cry out in fear. Jesus says, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Good old Peter says, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And Peter steps out of the boat. We are like Peter in storms. We begin to walk in our faith but the moment we take our eyes off Jesus looking at the circumstances of the storm, we are going down! Oh, we of little faith. There’s no need to doubt. We are secure because He is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble.