God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah** Psalms 46:1-7 (NIV)**
God’s love is consistent and never changing. He loves us with an everlasting love – every.last.one.of.us - and even rejoices over His own with singing. His desire is for none to perish but for all to come to Him in repentance through faith in His Son – a turning back to Him from our point of departure. Jesus came to earth to live a perfect life to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins. All of our sins. And, Scripture tells us, all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. His blood cleanses all. And in Him we have hope. “But hope that is seen is no hope at all”, Paul writes in Romans 8:24-25 (NIV): “Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have we wait for it patiently.” It behooves us to remember that heaven is our home, earth merely our sojourn.
We find both safety and courage when we trust in God – He is our ever present help in all our times of troubles. He is always on His throne, in total control, and never taken by surprise. There is no need for us to fear as His perfect love casts out fear and our hope remains secure – even when we are faced with troubles giving way to troubles as the winds blow hard. We are enabled to stand firm and fully secure as we rest safely in His all-powerful arms – no matter what happens. We can be assured there is purpose and good in all He allows in the lives of His heirs of mercy. The verse in Deuteronomy 33:12 (NIV) comes to mind: “Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders.” Indeed, believers find courage and strength by trusting in Him. He is the ever present help in our times of trouble and distress. He will either change our circumstances or change us in our circumstances, the latter being the far greater miracle. And He is only a breath away. Therefore we are not to fear when perils come our way rather we keep our eyes fixed upon Him. He is our fortress and deliverer – our Rock on which we stand and place our trust. He is the Harbor which the soul can drop anchor securing the believer’s hope.
Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. Hebrews 6:16-19 (NIV)