Psalm 46; Hebrews 11; 2 Corinthians 1

Isn’t it amazing that the first line in this Psalm explains so much - the fact that God is our refuge and strength shows us that we are not immune from troubles and problems. The abundant life that Jesus offered us is not a trouble free life.

We need to be very clear on this because many false teachers today claim that it is God’s will for every person to enjoy prosperity and perfect health. They teach that since Jesus has promised to answer your prayers, all that stands between you and material prosperity and physical health is your lack of faith. They tell us to ‘name it and claim it’ as if somehow everything is in our own hands – as if I am in charge of all that goes on in my life and the world around me.

But God says something totally different. He tells me right up front that this life is not all that I might want it to be – that it is hard and demanding and often tragic – that it is full of sickness, trials, trouble and death and that on my own I cannot navigate my way through.

BUT GOD – but God is God and nothing in this world, nothing in the entire universe is impossible for Him. No problem, whether emotional, physical, or spiritual, is too big for God and if we learn to take refuge in Him and lean on Him alone for strength, then we can face the most extreme crisis with quiet confidence, because God is with us and He is more than enough.

This psalm speaks of lots of different problems – all of which we are facing in our world today – wars, severe earthquakes, storms, tsunami, famine and drought, national uprising and whole kingdoms tottering on the brink of collapse.

We might add to the list the things which are mentioned in Hebrews 11 – the terrible trials that believers down through the ages have faced and indeed are facing today - being homeless, without proper clothing and food, torture, beatings, imprisonment and execution.

God does not protect Christians from these things; when a plane goes down, God does not make sure that there are no Christians aboard. When war destroys a country, God does not preserve the believers from its effects. God does not allow cancer to strike only those who have lived a life of sin. No, trouble will strike the believer as well as the unbeliever but here in His Word is His promise – I am the Father of all comfort and I will hold you close. I AM GOD, I am in control, no matter what happens I am with you and more – the best is yet to come.