God our strength
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in distress. Thus we do not fear, though earth be shaken and mountains quake to the depths of the sea, though its waters rage and foam and mountains totter at its surging. 'Be still and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.' The LORD of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob." (Psalm 46:1-3, 10-11) Psalm 46 is a timeless hymn of confidence in God's sovereign presence and invincible protection amid the most terrifying upheavals of human existence. The psalmist declares that God is not only a distant protector but an "ever-present help in distress," a divine companion whose nearness banishes fear even in the face of cosmic turmoil. The poetic description of the earth quaking and mountains falling into the sea evokes images of total chaos, yet the believer remains firm because God is his unshakable refuge. This radical assurance is not rooted in the abse...