By Pastor Steve Nickodemus

Our Refuge and Strength

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea…”
Psalm 46:1-2 English Standard Version

Mountains are enormous and awe inspiring and seemingly immovable and even eternal.  But that appearance of unchanging permanence is actually an illusion.  The mountains and the earth beneath them are in reality moving and eroding and changing all the time.  So much for an illusion of permanence!

As human beings made in the image of God we yearn for a permanent, eternal home, a place that will not change or waste away or be lost.  Although even the mountains may be moved and destroyed, our God offers His very self to us as a refuge and an eternal rock that will never be moved.  “…though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea… we will not fear!”  Everything in this life may be taken away from us, but “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

In Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, God has opened a way for us to be with Him forever.  Not only is He immovable and eternal and powerful, He is also merciful and full of grace for us mortal sinners.  In our baptism into Jesus we have been born again into a living hope that will never go away.  Yes, even if our earthly life ends, we will not be afraid, for we have salvation and a permanent home with the Lord forever.  Therefore, we will not fear, no matter what troubles may come.  The Lord is our refuge and strength, and in Him we will live forever!  Amen!

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church Colorado Springs, Colorado