“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” (Psalm 46:1-3 NIV).
 
      The hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is our God” by Martin Luther, is said to be a paraphrase of Psalm 46. Historians have written that the song has been sung by persecuted people going into exile and martyrs marching to their death. Psalm 46 talks about the presence of God, the provision of God, and the power of God.
 
The Presence of God
           
      If ever there was a reason to fear, it is today. The world is topsy-turvy. Evil is good and good is evil. Wars, uprising, and anarchy threaten to undo the fabric of civilization. Yet God tells us in verses one to three of Psalm 46 that God is our refuge, our strength, present to help us in our trouble. Even if the world falls apart, we are not to fear.

      Why not? Because God’s Presence is unshakable and unchangeable. “Because I am the Eternal One, I never change...” (Malachi 3:6 VOICE). He is always there to be our refuge. The One who holds the universe together with the Word of His Power, is always there for us. “I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2).

The Provision of God
           
      “God has a constantly flowing river whose sparkling streams bring joy and delight to his people. His river flows right through the city of God Most High, into his holy dwelling places. God is in the midst of his city, secure and never shaken. At daybreak his help will be seen with the appearing of the dawn. When the nations are in uproar with their tottering kingdoms, God simply raises his voice, and the earth begins to disintegrate before him. Here he comes! The Commander! The mighty Lord of Angel Armies is on our side! The God of Jacob fights for us!” (Psalm 46:4-7 TPT).
 
            In the midst of trouble, God desires to bring provision for His people. Verse 4 talks about God’s constantly flowing river which brings joy and delight. In Revelation 22:1, the Apostle John writes, “Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb...” (Revelation 22:1 BSB). The prophet Ezekiel wrote about water issuing below the threshold of God’s temple toward the east (Ezekiel 47:1). “Wherever the river flows, life will flourish – great schools of fish – because the river is turning the salt sea into fresh water. Where the river flows, life abounds” (Ezekiel 47:9 MSG).

            In John 7, we read where Jesus stood up on the most important day of the Feast of Tabernacles and said, “...’All you thirsty ones, come to me! Come to me and drink! Believe in me so that rivers of living water will burst out from within you, flowing from your innermost being, just like the Scripture says!’” (John 7:37-38 TPT).

         Jesus stated in John 6:35 NLT, “...’I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.’” One of the names for God is El Shaddai – the Almighty and all-sufficient One. He is everything we need.

The Power of God
           
         “Everyone look! Come and see the breathtaking wonders of our God. For he brings both ruin and revival. He’s the one who makes conflicts end throughout the earth, breaking and burning every weapon of war. Surrender your anxiety. Be still and realize that I am God. I am God above all the nations, and I am exalted throughout the whole earth. Here he stands! The Commander! The mighty Lord of Angel Armies is on our side! The God of Jacob fights for us!” (Psalm 46:8-11 TPT).
 
            Because God is the God Who is above all the nations, and exalted throughout the whole earth, and because the Lord of Angel Armies is on our side and fights for us, He tells us to surrender our anxiety to Him. That sounds like a command to me rather than a suggestion.
       
       How can we surrender our anxieties to God? By realizing how much He loves us. “Yahweh appeared of old to me, saying, ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore I have drawn you with loving kindness’” (Jeremiah 31:3 WEB).

          Because of who God is, we can give all our care to Him. “...You can throw the whole weight of your anxieties upon him, for you are his personal concern” (1 Peter 5:7 Phillips). God is on our side. He fights for us. Even in a chaotic world, if we hide the truths of Psalm 46 deep in our hearts, we can be at peace.

        I recently read about starling murmurations. Masses of these birds gather together and move in one huge group across the sky. They aren’t simply flying in a flock. They make a show in the sky by twisting and turning into myriads of different shapes. I viewed a murmuration on a YouTube video and it is truly amazing to watch.

         Starlings are small-to medium-size birds. They have a short tail and a pointed head. Their feathers are glossy black, streaked with tinges of purple and green. One account I read stated that murmurations form when one starling copies the behaviour of its seven neighbours. Then those starlings nearby copy each of their seven neighbours, until the entire group moves as one.

        Often at sundown, starlings will produce a synchronized cloud of movement over their roosting site – the place where they will rest for the night. It has also been hypothesized that starlings use their dance to deter larger predators like hawks or falcons from attacking the group. When they move as one, it can confuse the predator and decrease the individual risk faced by each  starling.

        Like the starling, we are always better when we are together, rather than alone. Ecclesiastes 4:9 (NLT) says, “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.” Verse 10 goes on to say, “If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.”

         One of Satan’s tactics is to isolate us and make us easy prey for him. Without the comfort and protection of others, we’re exposed and easy for him to “pick off”. I love the New Living Translation of verse 12 of Ecclesiastes 4. It says, “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer...” We need others in our lives who are willing to stand back-to-back with us when we’re in the midst of a battle.

            Verse 12 of Ecclesiastes 4 ends with, “...Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” With companions, we are not alone. We can give and receive help. Today, a Christian friend I hadn’t heard from for a while called me. She shared some problems she was facing and we prayed together. Then she asked me how she could lift me up in prayer. I told her and know she will be faithful in bringing my needs before the Lord.

          “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35). Jesus never meant for us to slug it out alone. We are part of a body, His Body, the Body of Christ, every part supporting every other part.
​
            One other thing about a starling murmuration. Each starling instinctively follows their nearest companion. Apparently, they fly so close, that if one missed a beat, they’d suffer calamity. My closing prayer is, “Lord, help me to fly so close to You that there is no space between us. Help me to see the lost, lonely, and hurting, to reach out to them, and bring them into a community which flies together. In the precious Name of Jesus, Amen.”