Psalm 46 is a song of corporate praise for God’s chosen people who claim him as our refuge and our strength. Each stanza depicts a different aspect of the Lord and each concludes with a musical pause, “Selah” (vv. 3, 7, 11).[1] So, in Psalm 46, we discover three awe-inspiring truths about our God.

Our Calming Presence (vv. 1-3)

He is first our calming presence in a troubled world: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (v. 1). “Refuge” is where we run in times of fear, while “strength” is what we need in times of weakness (see 59:16-17; 62:7). And our God is both: a refuge in the storm and omnipotent in strength. So, when we know him truly, we will turn to him without delay. Our “troubles” often trap us in a tight spot between a rock and a hard place, but God rescues us in our distress. He is always near (34:18; 145:18) and he is always enough for each and every situation. His “very present help” describes his readiness to be found (Isa 55:6). As Spurgeon wrote, “[God is] more present than friend or relative can be, more present than even trouble itself. To this comforting truth is the consideration that He comes at the needed time. He is a friend in need and a friend indeed. He has been tried and proved, He never withdraws Himself from the afflicted, He is their help.”[2] Too often, we respond in fear when we forget that God is greater than our troubles. We take too long to seek him out as we try to solve the problems on our own. Yet suffering brings us back to God by showing us our need. And we are grateful for life’s troubles as they draw us close to him.

“Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling” (Ps 46:2-3). As in the flood, God unmakes his own creation (Gen 6-9; see Pss 34:17-22; 102:25-28; 104:5-9). Yet even then, “We will not fear! . . . Though the earth gives way . . . though the mountains be moved . . . though waters roar and foam . . . though the mountains tremble.” The sea symbolized the untamed chaos of menacing waters crashing upon the shore and the ancient mountains symbolized solidity and strength. So, God’s people would despair to see them crumble. Yet the very God who created those mountains has the power to cast them into the sea. The very God who hemmed the oceans into place has the right to let them loose. Such cataclysmic forces reveal God’s judgment of the earth. Yet even in such monumental days, the Lord remains our “very present help in trouble”—our eternal Rock of hope.

Application Insight: What will you do when life threatens to turn you upside down? What happens when your spouse no longer desires to be married? When your finances are on the verge of collapse? When your best friend turns against you? When the doctor has bad news? Such troubles naturally fill us with anxious dread. Yet with the psalmist, you can claim, “I will never be afraid!” Even when everything in life seems shaken, God will always remain God. When your world feels like it is falling apart, God is your refuge: your shelter, your shield, your defense from danger. God is your strength who grants you courage when you cannot handle life’s circumstances. God is your very present help: always near and always findable whenever you might need him. “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:16). For our God will never fail us.

Our Comforting Protector (vv. 4-7)

He is not only our calming presence, but also our comforting protector when the world seems under siege. The scene now turns to Jerusalem, the city of God, in a time of future peace: “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High” (Ps 46:4). Instead of the roar and foam of oceans threatening to undo the mighty mountains, gentle streams now make the city glad. The people rejoice as God Most High resides with them in Zion (48:1-2, 8). For he himself is the reason for their happiness—their assurance of salvation: “God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns” (46:5). Though the mountains totter, the city of God shall not be moved. Though the night brings fear, God rescues her when the morning dawns. Jerusalem’s faith was not in sturdy walls or well-defended citadels or its mountain perch, but solely in her God. The morning dawn brought hope from despair and light from darkness, for God’s people trusted he would arrive by break of day (Isa 8:20; 9:2; Mal 4:2; Luke 1:78).[3]

They certainly need his help for their city is under siege: “The nations rage, the kingdoms totter” (Ps 46:6a). Like those mighty mountains, the warring nations threaten to unbalance the world’s stability. Like the surging waters, the enemies of Israel roar and foam against the Lord. Yet not so fast! As the King now speaks: “He utters his voice, the earth melts” (v. 6b). At creation, God’s voice spoke the universe into being. Yet on the judgment day, that same voice will unmake everything he once made (Heb 12:26). Before God’s voice, his enemies “melt away” and worldly powers tremble (e.g., Exod 15:15c; see 14:13-14, 31; Josh 2:9, 24; Amos 9:5). Thus, the psalmist concludes, “The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah” (Ps 46:7). “The LORD of hosts” declares his power and his might,[4] while “the God of Jacob” describes his gracious mercy. For Yahweh himself is Israel’s mighty fortress high atop the mountain (Isa 25:12; 33:16). So also, as God’s people, we cannot find lasting refuge behind the walls of our own making. Instead, we rest in the comforting protection of the Lord of hosts himself. When he is with us, we cannot be moved. He is our life-giving stream when the world seems under siege. And his river running through our city reveals his comforting presence throughout history.[5]

Application Insight: Do you ever feel like your life is under siege or your world is coming to an end? Enemies might not be knocking down your gates, but maybe you have difficult coworkers or classmates who bully you. Maybe someone in your family is hard to live with or you feel trapped by an impossible situation. The walls that were meant to be a fortress have begun to feel like a prison. If so, remember these truths from Psalm 46: God is with you and he reigns on high. He protects you with the host of heaven at his back. He is your strong and mighty fortress who sustains you with his life-giving stream (Ps 1:3). And even when your life feels shrouded in darkness, he promises to save you when morning comes.

Our Covenant Promise-Keeper (vv. 8-11)

God is our calming presence and our comforting protector. Lastly, he is our covenant promise-keeper even in a war-torn world. The scene now shifts to the aftermath of carnage: the silence of Gettysburg, the beaches of Normandy, the steaming jungles of Vietnam. The psalmist paints a gruesome picture of God’s judgment. “Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth” (Ps 46:8). Shockingly, the Lord himself has caused such desolation and has strewn the battlefield with bodies: “He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire” (v. 9). He permanently cripples the enemy’s military might not through peaceful negotiations, but by defeating them in battle. For sometimes a show of strength is the strongest defense. We witnessed a historical example of this when the armies of Assyria encamped outside Jerusalem (2 Kgs 18-19). They had just destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel and showed themselves capable of murderous cruelty (17:5-6, 24; 18:26). So, King Hezekiah “tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the LORD” (19:1). God then promised his covenant people, “‘I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.’ And that night the angel of the LORD went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies. Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went home” (vv. 34-36).

Our covenant promise-keeper commands our trust because he can win the battle on his own: “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Ps 46:10). The Lord’s battle cry is no gentle whisper putting his children to bed at night, “Hush, be still.” Instead, it is the sharp command when they are bickering, “Be still! Quit fighting! Don’t make me come over there!”[6] “Be still” is not a yoga mat, but a wrestling mat—not a mental spa treatment, but a drill sergeant barking orders. This is not our mama’s telephone voice, but the commanding voice which our Lord Jesus summoned when he silenced the wind and the waves: “‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. . . . And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’” (Mark 4:39, 41). Disciples have no need to fear the storm when we share a boat with the Son of God, for the safest place to be is always in his presence. So, what must calm our restless hearts? It is knowing the God who reigns supreme over all the earth. For no nation is more powerful; No cosmic catastrophe takes him by surprise; No storms can disobey his mighty voice. As the Lord commands, “Cease and desist! Stop running around like a chicken with your head cut off! I still am God and I am in control. Surely, you can trust me.” One way we worship the Lord is by turning to him in faith.

The psalm then concludes the same way it began by extolling God’s holy character, for we learn to trust him as we keep our eyes on him: “The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah” (Ps 46:11). “The God of Jacob” made covenant promises to his chosen people, for Jacob was the son of Isaac and the grandson of Abraham. Jacob’s sons then formed the twelve tribes of Israel who received those promised blessings. And Yahweh kept his covenant faithfulness along every step of Jacob’s journey. We now, by faith, are children of God’s covenant through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Gal 3:7-14).

Yet how could the Lord of hosts provide refuge for sinners? How could he keep his covenant promises when we have broken ours? The answer comes in Jesus Christ, our covenant promise-keeper, for salvation is not dependent on human effort or the strength of our obedience, but on our Anointed King. Although Psalm 46 was written long before Christ, it foreshadowed both his sacrificial death and his victorious resurrection. And its final fulfillment will only take place when all the world has come to an end (see Isa 2:1-4, 11, 17; 9:4; Ezek 39:9; Hos 2:18; Mic 4:1-4; Zech 9:9-10). For on that final day, the Lord will be our conquering Messiah and righteous Judge (Rev 19:1-2; see vv. 3-5). In the new heavens and the new earth, the King of peace will reign in glory. In the New Jerusalem, we will no longer need locks and gates, for all our enemies will vanquished. So, Hamilton writes, “Psalm 46 sings the day when [Christ Jesus] will establish his reign, put an end to war, burn its implements, remake the world, wipe away every tear, restore his people to life, glorify their bodies like his own, bring them to the river, and let them eat from the tree of life that stands on its shores.”^[7] As God delivered his people from Assyria in the past and will deliver them from Babylon in the future, he also rescues us in the present day. Whenever we are afraid, we can return to his calming presence, his comforting protection, and his covenant promises (Isa 26:3; see 43:1-3a; Matt 28:19-20). Whenever we face natural or national disasters, our God is near! For our risen Savior has ascended to the throne at the Father’s right hand and has received the name that is above every name, so that every tongue will confess him to be Lord (Phil 2:9-11).

Self-Reflection in Psalm 46:

1. As you encounter life’s troubles, how long does it take you to turn to God? What truths about God in Psalm 46 will compel you to come to him sooner?
   • He is our calming presence (vv. 1-3).
   • He is our comforting protector (vv. 4-7).
   • He is our covenant promise-keeper (vv. 8-11).
2. What keeps you from being still in a restless world? What distracting noises keep you from hearing God’s voice clearly? How can you cease from striving when everything inside you desires to be afraid?
3. What do you look forward to most about the future city of God—the new Jerusalem (Rev 21:1-4; 22:1-2)? What covenant promises has God made to his Bride—the church?
4. Rejoice in the lyrics of Martin Luther’s hymn, A Mighty Fortress is Our God. Read a short biography of his life to consider how he lived out what he sang.
5. For further study, read Bryan Gaines, “God Is…” CBCD (blog), August 16, 2021, accessed at https://thecbcd.org/resources/god-is or Charles R. Swindoll, “The Grind of Personal Weakness,” in Living the Psalms (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing, 2012), 131-42.

Counsel Psalm 46:

Our counselees face many troubles, but they often compound their problems by looking to earthly idols for refuge and strength. We must direct them instead to a mighty God who is ever-present to comfort and protect. His promises call us to remain at peace: “Be still,” to trust him: “Know that I am God,” and to worship in spirit and in truth: “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Ps 46:10).[8]

Projects for Growth (Psalm 46):

1. What are you most afraid of in life? Where does your life feel turned upside-down? Describe the troubles that make you feel restless or trapped in your distress.
2. When you give in to your fear and anxiety, what are the worldly responses of your heart? Who or what do you turn to instead of God to be your fortress?
3. Reflect on the following word pictures: God is…
   • Our refuge and strength
   • Our very present help in trouble
   • Our life-giving stream
   • Our holy habitation
   • Our mighty fortress
   • Our morning dawn
   • Our Lord of hosts
   • Our conquering King and righteous Judge
   • The Lord Most High
4. Memorize Psalm 46:10 and address your troubles in three stages:
   • Cease your striving: “Be still.”
   • Meditate on the truths about God in Psalm 46: “Know that I am God.”
   • Let your meditation fuel your worship: “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
5. How will you live differently when you continually acknowledge the Lord as your calming presence, comforting protector, and covenant promise-keeper? What changes must you make even if your circumstances do not change?
6. Listen to a rendition of Psalm 46 by Matt Boswell, Matt Papa, or Shane and Shane. Reflect on Luther’s hymn, A Mighty Fortress is Our God, for more inspiration.
7. Pray Psalm 46:
   • Thank you, O Lord, for being our very present help whenever we need you (v. 1).
   • Therefore, because of you, we will not fear life’s troubles (vv. 2-3).
   • Continue to protect us even when our enemies surround us (vv. 4-7).
   • Be exalted, O God, in all the earth (v. 10).

[1] The second two stanzas also conclude with the same refrain (vv. 7, 11).

[2] Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Psalm 46.

[3] The ultimate morning dawn would be the resurrection of our Lord Jesus from the dead (Ps 17:15; Isa 26:19; Dan 12:2).

[4] “The LORD of hosts” (or Yahweh Sabaoth) is a name for Almighty God found often in the Old Testament (e.g., 24:10; 46:7, 11; 48:8; 59:5; 69:6; 80:4, 7, 14, 19; 84:1, 3, 8, 12; 89:8). It describes our God as the Commanding General of the heavenly hosts—the armies of angels who obey his beck and call (e.g., 1 Kgs 22:19). God’s people rest secure even when their city is under siege because the King commands this special fighting force from heaven.

[5] In the coming future, the city of God will be physically rebuilt atop Mount Zion (Isa 65:17; Jer 3:17; Ezek 40-48; Dan 9:24; Zech 14:11; Rev 21:1-3, 10). Though the Lord destroys the entire world, his plan is to remake it (2 Pet 3:10-12). As John envisions, “Then, I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God’” (Rev 21:1-3). Through this holy city, a river will flow (22:1-2; see Ezek 47:1-14; Joel 3:18; Zech 13:1; 14:8-9). As our world threatens to come to an end, the Lord declares, “I will surely be your God and you will be my people. I will comfort you by my faithful presence. My river will grant you ‘the water of life’ and my holy city will be your refuge.” The Lord has always been the comforting protector of his people throughout history.

[6] The hiphil verb, “raphah” declares the strong command, “Cease striving!”

^[7] James M. Hamilton Jr., Psalms, ed. T. Desmond Alexander, Thomas R. Schreiner, and Andreas J. Köstenberger, vol. 1, Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Academic, 2021), 478.

[8] For further study, see Andrea Lee, “Using Psalm 46 in counseling, Part One,” Biblical Counseling Coalition (blog), June 30, 2021, accessed at https://www.biblicalcounselingcoalition.org/2021/06/30/using-psalm-46-in-counseling-part-one and Andrea Lee, “Using Psalm 46 in counseling, Part Two,” Biblical Counseling Coalition (blog), July 2, 2021, accessed at https://www.biblicalcounselingcoalition.org/2021/07/02/using-psalm-46-in-counseling-part-two.  Also consider Betty Anne Van Rees, “Psalm 46,” in Counseling Through the Psalms, ed. Shauna Van Dyke (Fort Worth, TX: Association of Biblical Counselors, 2012), 54-56.