God is Our Refuge and Strength
a sermon based on  Psalm 46
by Rev. Rick Thompson

     In the summer of 2000, Brenda and I traveled in Europe.  There was much that amazed us!  There was breathtaking scenery as we rode the train through Switzerland.  There were majestic cathedrals in every major city.  There were fabulous museums containing awe-inspiring works of art. 

     And in Germany, there were the castles.

     We visited Burg Eltz.  What an incredible place!  It was begun about 900 years ago, added onto several times over the centuries, and still stands, intact.  It's been in the same family for 34 generations.  What an image of strength and durability!

     Other castles hadn't fared so well over the centuries.  The Schloss, or medieval palace, in Heidelberg still displayed some of its splendor and magnificence, but much of it lay in ruins.  The walled and imposing Fortress Marienburg, high on a hill over Wurzburg, had long passed its days of glory.  The ravages of war had caused much damage and destruction.

     And even venerable Burg Eltz will someday crumble.  It was off the beaten path, so it escaped the wounds of battle, but it will not endure forever.

     Those castles are strong and formidable, but not invincible.  If warfare hasn't destroyed them already, time and the elements will.

     Such was ancient Jerusalem when today's Psalm was written.  Perched high on Mt. Zion, safely within the city walls, stood the Temple of the Lord, majestic, enormous, a grand place of worship for the ancient Jews.  It provided the people of God with a sense of security.  Some even thought the presence of the Temple made the city invincible.

     But the Psalmist reminds us that not even the Holy City was indestructible.  There is always the threat of chaos looming over the existence of the people of God.

     The writer recalls the realities of life.

     First of all, the people could never know when natural disaster would strike.  "The mountains might shake," the poet writes, "the waters roar and foam."  Chaos and destruction and the terror they bring to human hearts are only a heartbeat away and beyond our control.

     We've been reminded of this all too many times in recent months.  Two major hurricanes have assaulted the Gulf Coast of our country.  There have been natural disasters throughout the world as well. "The mountains shake…the waters roar and foam," writes the Psalmist.  And we're all too aware, and all too weary, and all too anxious about the destruction these natural disasters can cause.

     Is there anything we can count on, anything even more reliable than Burg Eltz?

     And disaster is not all that threatens us.  There's also the threat and reality of war.  "The kingdoms are in uproar," we read.  War and rumors of war were the constant companions of the ancient Jews, and they're our constant companions today.  Our country is still at war in Afghanistan.  Osama bin Laden is still on the loose.  And we are afraid.  We are afraid the chaos will go on and on.

     And we wonder, "Is there anything reliable, anything we can count on?"

     Add to that the anxiety and uncertainty that often threaten us personally.  Illness, aging, and death.  Rising gasoline and energy costs.  Financial worries in our personal lives and in the life of our church.  And, on top of it all, there has been distress and panic in the economy such as we haven't seen since the Great Depression.  Wondering what life is all about.  Wondering if life is worth it at all. 

     Is there anything we can count on, anything we can trust?

     Not if we try to make life matter on our own.  When faced with all the real and potential threats to our well-being, we are hopelessly inadequate.  We are incredibly helpless, amazingly powerless.  We are sinners, who fall short again and again, and we can't make life work on our own.  We can't make ourselves perfect, and we can't stop the chaos and uncertainty that causes so much anxiety and fear.

     So where shall we turn?  Is there any hope for us?  Is there anything we can count on - anything at all?

     Yes, there is!

     As we've seen, the Psalm writer recounts vividly the threat of disaster and war, our constant companions. 

     But he Psalmist also boldly proclaims that we can live with peace and hope and confidence.

     It doesn't depend on the absence of chaos, disaster, and war in the world.  That will never happen!

     And it doesn't depend on our own personal ability to make life peaceful and perfect.  That will certainly never happen, either!

    Instead, three times, the Psalmist reminds us where we can find security and strength, a reliable foundation for our lives.

     The Psalm begins,

"God is our refuge and strength;

 a very present help in trouble."

Twice more - once in the middle, and once at the end, like a refrain, we hear it again:

            "The Lord of hosts is with us;

             the God of Jacob is our stronghold!"

     When all else fails - and all else will fail! - that's our source of hope, our refuge and strength: God!

     Let me say it again: God is OUR refuge and strength!

     Even that sturdy Temple, built high on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem, is long gone.

     But the God who was present with the people in that Temple is still with us.  God is STILL our refuge and strength!

     The Temple is gone.  Now Christ is with us.  Christ, who died and rose from the dead, who rules with the Father for all eternity, is alive and with God's people, active in the world!

     GOD IN CHRIST IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH!

     In Christ, God is our refuge from life's storms - external, or internal.  When we wonder if there is anything solid or dependable, anything indestructible - there stands Jesus Christ!  There stands the one who has calmed the sea, and healed the sick, and cast out demons, and forgiven sins.  CHRIST is our refuge!

     And he is our strength.  When sin threatened to keep us in bondage forever and destroy us for all eternity, what did Christ do?  He smashed the power of sin by carrying it to his cross.  And when death threatened to doom us forever, what did Christ do?  He crushed the power of death by exploding out of the tomb, alive!

     God in Christ is our refuge and strength!

     This weekend, we remember and celebrate our Reformation heritage.  We give thanks for the clear understanding of this good news, apprehended and proclaimed boldly by Martin Luther and his associates.  Even the name of our church - the Lutheran church - honors this heritage.

     You probably know that Luther was inspired by this Psalm.  He was inspired to write that great hymn of the Reformation, the hymn we will sing in just a few moments - "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God!"  At the end of the hymn, we'll recall that the chaos of this life and this world can take everything away from us - "our house, goods, honor, spouse…even our life".  But not even that will destroy us.  Why?  Because God in Christ is our refuge and strength - and nothing - NOTHING IN ALL CREATION - can destroy Christ and take him away from us!  And so we will sing that, in spite of any threat we face, "the kingdom's our forever!"

     REMEMBER: God is our refuge and strength.  All else might fail you, including your own strength, but God--God will never, ever fail you!

     Remember that, and trust in Christ, and Christ alone.

     This is what we need to remember today:

     When we are threatened by natural disaster and war, we will not fear.  Why?

     Because God is our refuge and strength!

     When we're anxious about our lives, our well-being, and our future, we will not fear.  Why?

     Because God is our refuge and strength!

     When there is chaos and uncertainty, and evil seems so strong, and death seems so threatening, even then, we will not fear.  What will we remember? 

     Say it with me: "God is our refuge and strength!"

     Say it again: "God is our refuge and strength!"

    What was that? "God is our refuge and strength!"

     Say it once more.  Say it like you mean it: "GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH!"

     That's right.

     We will not fear.  Why?  Because God is OUR refuge and OUR strength!

                                                                                                AMEN.