«God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed». Psalm 46:1, 2
FRANK E. GAEBELEIN, a theologian and teacher who edited the prestigious Expositor’s Bible Commentary, would have his students memorize three hundred Bible verses every semester. He believed memorizing Bible verses was a practical way to obey the command in Deuteronomy 6:6: «These words which I command you today shall be in your heart.» Gordon MacDonald, Dr. Gaebelein’s student, says one of the passages he had to memorize was Psalm 46.
Fifty years after memorizing Psalm 46 in Gaebelein’s class, Gordon was given terrible news: he had a brain tumor. While his doctor explained the complicated process he would use to remove the cancerous mass from his head, the first thing Gordon remembered were the words he had memorized half a century earlier. «God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling» (Psalm 46:1-3).*
As long as we live on this side of eternity, we are all exposed to receiving news that will paralyze our souls: the death of a loved one, the bankruptcy of the company we work for, an illness that has progressed so much that science can no longer do anything . , . We will have to deal with circumstances we cannot control, that will make us falter, that will place us on the verge of the abyss of doubt. And for moments like those, the psalmist assures us that «God is our refuge and strength,» the timely help we need to deal with «trouble.»
The psalmist is very clear: Even if chaos reigns, God has the strength to help us remain standing when everything comes tumbling down. Regardless of the threat there might be against your life, God is the shelter where you will find hope. He is the «refuge in times of trouble» (Psalm 9:9); He is your «strong tower from the enemy» (Psalm 61:3),
It’s true, you will be constantly assailed by affliction; but you should always know God’s help will never fail you. Commit that to memory within your heart.
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2023
“I AM WITH YOU”
From: J. VLADIMIR POLANCO
Collaborators: Lorina Maya & Avineyda Hernández
