Our Strength

PSALM 46:1-3
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult.

The words of Psalm 46 paint a picture of a world turned upside down, of everything crumbling and crashing down, of intense upheaval and destruction.  Watching the events take place in our nation’s capitol building yesterday afternoon made it seem like the world, indeed, was turning upside down.    I’m still processing what I feel, and in the moment, it was a shock.  It still is, but also there is disappointment, sadness, and anger.  I’m deeply saddened that there was loss of life, and I’m disappointed that  this is how human beings deal with one another when we disagree.  Left to our own devices, we human beings are pathetic and incapable of resolving a bleak situation.

These moments cause me to turn inward; I’m not sure what to say, so I mull things over in my mind and in my heart.  I’m still not sure what to say, but I’m pretty sure that it would be best if we are NOT left to own devices.  I truly believe that faith needs to be a guiding force when we find ourselves in a predicament like this.  Faith reminds us that we are NOT left to our own devices, and the words of Psalm 46, although painting a picture of a world turned upside down, also assert that God is present.  “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,” declares the psalmist.

Psalm 46 describes a world turned upside down, but this Psalm also asserts that God has not abandoned this world or is absent from it.  On the contrary, God is in our midst as a refuge and strength, and as such, we are then NOT left to our own devices.  It is helpful, I think, to turn to God and the gifts that God has given us, to learn new ways of dealing with each other.  We all have something we can learn in a time like this; we can, in the presence of God, make our own confession and be determined to do better and to be better.  With God’s help, may our words and our deeds be a faithful witness as the kind of people God is calling us to be.

Let us pray: Eternal God, amid all the turmoil and changes of the world your love is steadfast and your strength never fails.  In this time of danger and trouble, be to us a sure guardian and rock of defense.  Guide the leaders of our nation with your wisdom, comfort those in distress, and grant us courage and hope to face the future; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.  Amen.  (Evangelical Lutheran Worship, Prayer in a Time of National Distress, p. 76)