Let’s close in prayer. When you look at the ultrasounds, do you know what you see? Let me take a moment to encourage you as a church. 6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. At the hospital, it was the same story. What is true, remains true – no matter what we go through. “Stop your fighting, and know that I am God, exalted among the nations…the Lord of Armies is with us…Selah!”. My notes after reflecting on on this sermon: God can use you to help show how much He cares for someone here today. Humans have dignity. He snaps every spear. Remind Christians with the truths of Scripture. Which is absolutely crazy… ). Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. What remains constant and true? Hope in God; for I [will] praise him — my salvation and my God. After receiving this diagnosis, we were referred to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) for more specialized care. It really doesn’t matter, does it, as long as Psalm 46 is true! It is an anchor for the soul. Privacy Policy, But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. “A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing. Our protector. This is what we cling to. “Our Father, as we look into Your Word, we pray that we would  [first]  believe that it is true. Psalm 46 gave him strength, and the hymn he composed based upon it he sang every day to remind himself. Selah 4 God’s blessings are like a river. Glossary He knows our weakness… and He cares. Or you can get more technical. [Painting a picture of ] what “trouble” feels like. We pray that you would help us- help us to trust in you. Not in position. As Christians, this is where we start. The God of Jacob is like a fort to us. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. Selah, Comfort is found – in resting in God. [[Closing remarks]] This is our training manual. Not knowing what was going on. “God is our refuge and strength,  a very present help – in trouble”. The traditional translation of “be still” appears too tame for this context. Psalm 43:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? We recognize that life is often difficult and we are tempted to despair. It is an anchor for the soul. Faithful to original manuscripts. But God loved the world and gave His Son, Jesus. Notice how verses 8, 9, and 11 reference some aspect of war and fighting. He will be exalted. Knowing this is key for the Christian life. Though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. (We were presented, pretty quickly, with the option of aborting him. Psalm 46 . That is hard to do sometimes. God speaks, and the people of the earth melt in fear. It is hard to trust… but listen! Learning in the classroom should help you on the field. The Christian Standard Bible is a trustworthy translation that is proven to be the optimal blend of accuracy and readability. But it is true. It was not easy. We need to know God offers us two kinds of help: a stronghold into which we can flee and a source of strength by which we can face the uncertain future. You learn as you go. I think that it was fitting in my sermon. I don’t understand how people can go through something like that – and not have God. He gives us strength. This short psalm is a communal lament, pleading as a nation for God's mercy, though in what particular circumstances we cannot tell. The Spirit and the gifts are ours through him who with us sideth. Psalms For Kids are associated with various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links. But we will not be afraid. Take a look at the people around you. A song of the Sons of Korah. God is our hope. ( Log Out /  God is our place of safety. From our biblical worldview, we know life has meaning (and value) – and it starts with God, as the creator. It is pretty straightforward. For Christians, we want to live, in such a way, that pleases God. Blindsided. The introduction could have been tighter (or completely redone). I ought to do what I can to be clear and preach the Bible and aim directly at the heart, but the Holy Spirit is the one who illumines, convicts, and applies the sown Scriptures. [As of June 2017,] Haddon has had 2 different pairs of surgeries (four procedures total) and has his palate surgery coming up in the fall [to close the roof of his mouth], and probably a few more surgeries here and there…. “God is our refuge and strength” when everything is going okay in your life. The two are that of servants to a master and a maid to her mistress. There are lots of ways to practice. For everyone here today, we’ve seen the brokenness and chaos of this world. If you use them, please… For. God has been so kind and gracious to our family. God will help it at the beginning of the day. Comfort is found – in resting in God. I prepared this message before I had my more detailed and thorough preaching preparation template adapted from my notes from a course that Dr. Steven Lawson taught at the Masters Seminary. Regarding the sermon itself. In Psalm 46, we find an unshakable truth that stands when everything around us seems to crumble. For someone who doesn’t believe in the God of the Bible… I don’t know. This offer is available to pastors and ministry leaders (while supplies last). If you find the DSCS helpful and would like to donate, thank you! Her ultrasounds would take a while because he was camera shy and wouldn’t cooperate getting his picture taken. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Who likes to kick and move. Psalm 46:4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. Song In Haitian Creole: Nothing But The Blood Of Jesus, Song in Haitian Creole: Read Your Bible, Pray Every Day. At Mosaic, I decided to leave out that earthquake story, because I thought it would be more fitting to just share the story about my son 1) because it gave fit the passage, and 2) because I served at Mosaic for a number of years and they knew some of the details about the pregnancy and our son. Life is precious. During the dark and dangerous periods of the Reformation, Luther would turn to his trusted friend Philip Melanchthon and exclaim: “Let’s sing the 46, Psalm, and let the devil do his worst!”  It inspired his great hymn “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.”. A song of the Sons of Korah. What if the comfort that God has for your brother or sister in Christ – comes from the person you saw brushing their teeth this morning… in the mirror (hopefully…). I broke it up basically along the stanza lines. See the places he has destroyed on the earth. It doesn’t make any sense that ‘we are here by accident’ or ‘by chance’. When faced with difficulties… Who ( or what )  you are trusting in will show through. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Blog This is poetry. 2 The earth may fall apart. My notes after reflecting on on this sermon: PrayerMate App – Developing a prayer habit. But we will not be afraid. Build each other up. After receiving this diagnosis, we were referred to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) for more specialized care. Coming to know God, as he has been revealed in the Scriptures, will change how you walk through difficult days. A wonderfully made, beautifully knit together – baby boy. “Be still, and know that [He is] God.”. When you look at the ultrasounds, do you know what you see? His Bible fell open to Psalm 46. In other words — [perhaps the comfort that God would offer to your brother or sister ought to come from] you. Many Bible translations render the imperative as “Be still.” This is then applied along the lines of “we need to come aside from the hustle and bustle of daily life and get alone with God.” Certainly that is true, but there’s more going on this verse. Ready or not.