S Psalm forty six. Very familiar Psalm, this is one of my favorite songs. Psalm forty six and verse one. God is our refuge and strength of very pleasant health in trouble. Therefore will not we fear though the earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea. Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof, sea-lark. I want you to know there's a little word. There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most high. God is in the midst of her. She shall not be moved. God shall help her and that right early. The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved. He uttered his voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah, a second time. Come, behold the works of the Lord. What desolations he hath made in the earth. He makeeth wars that cease unto the end of the earth. He breaketh the bow and cuttheth the spear in thunder. He burneth the charge and the fire. Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge, Selah. This is a wonderful little book, and first of all, you might notice the title of this little book. If you have a Bible, they give the title of these songs. Animal. This means a choir of virgins. In other words, it's only the pure in heart, those washed in the blood of Christ, those saved by sovereign grace, who can really enter into and sing the song of this beautiful song. And I wonder this morning if everyone can say, thank God, I am saved by sovereign grace, I am washed in the precious blood of Christ. I can sing it, I can employ the language of this song. I can tuck it into my heart, it's belonging to me. Then you know something of its title. It's sung to the chief musician. Who could the chief musician be, and other than our Lord Jesus Christ? He's referred to as the chief musician. He is the great composer of all spirit-filled hymns. By his Holy Spirit he led David and others to write these lovely songs we have. He is the great physician or great musicians and the chief musician. I believe there are many hymns that he has inspired by his Holy Spirit, and also inspired men not only to write them, but to compose the very tune, like abide with me, rock of ages, quest for me, and wonderful hymns, that God has given to us down through the ages, I believe, men inspired by God, led by the great musician himself, has given us these wonderful, wonderful hymns. There are a lot of little bits of... so-called hymns and choruses I wouldn't attach much value to. I don't think the Lord inspired them at all. There are other hymns and they have real depth and real value to them. You'll notice it's written for the sons of Korah in verse two. That's very significant because they passed through the experience of verse two. You remember over in Numbers chapter sixteen, Korah and his company rebelled against the Lord. And because they did, God caused the earth to open her mouth and swallow up two hundred and fifty of them. If they ever went through the experience of verses two and three, or if any people did, they did. And here is the division of the Levites singing in the temple. And this little psalm is written for their benefit, I'm sure it's very appropriate. If you or I had passed through or had witnessed such an experience as happened to the sons of Korah and Korah and his company... we certainly would appreciate the language of this lovely little song. You'll notice that word, Sila, three times as mentioned. What does it mean? It's a musical expression. It means to pause. It means to stop and think. It means to let it sink in. And then it means to sing again. And three times over in this song, you read that little word, Sila, Paul. Think about it. Let that sink in. And then, when it does, start singing again. And that's why you have this little song divided into three wonderful stages. First of all, you have the refuge in verse one. And up until you read the little word Sila. Then you have refreshment in verse four, for there you have the river of God brought in. And then you have Sila at the end of that second verse. or second verse of the hymn. And then finally you have repose in verse ten. Be still and know that I am God. Once again the psalm concludes. Sela. Pause. Think on that. And so you have the refuge, refreshment in the river, and repose. Be still and know that I am God. You know what it says in this psalm? God is a very pleasant help in trouble, meaning that God is for us. He's a very present help. He's right at hand when we need him. A very present help in trouble. He's for us. But it also tells us he's in us. It tells you that I think in verse five, God is in the midst of her. And that's true. God dwells in his beloved people, just like the bird is in the air, but the air is in the bird. The fish is in the sea, but the sea is in the fish. The sponge is in the water, but the water is in the sponge. I am in Christ, and Christ is in me. How wonderful to know this, that you're in Christ. The Bible says that. But it also says Christ in you, the hope of glory. And so God is not only for me, he's in me. But it says he's with us. He's with us. You know when a person is going to the hospital for an operation, perchance a serious one, a friend or relative may say, rightly so, I'm pulling for you. I'll be praying for you. But no relative can say, I'll be with you. You are not permitted to go into the operating room. No relative or friend could say, I'm in you. That's impossible. But God can do that. When one is facing the operating room, God is with them. God is, but besides them, he's right after himself. He's for them, and he's in them. Even while the surgeon is performing the operation, there's one looking over his shoulder at a great position. While he's operating upon you, there's one below his scaffold. That's the Lord Jesus Christ. He's in your heart. He's in your heart. Back in Napoleon's day, one of Napoleon's soldiers fell on the battlefield and the surgeon was operating in the bullet that had gone in the area of the heart. While the surgeon was operating to climb the move, the bullet, the soldier says, dig deep, dock. He says, you'll find Napoleon there. In other words, Napoleon was in the heart. And you can say to any surgeon, Dig deep, you'll find Jesus Christ there. He's in my heart. He's in my heart. How wonderful that is. Okay. So this little Psalm, God is for us. God is with us. God is in us. This was Luther's favorite hymn. Oftentimes when Luther was having difficult times and he had many of them, he would get his contemporaries together and say, let's sing Psalm forty-six. In fact, this little Psalm inspired him to write the mighty fortresses, our God. What a wonderful psalm it is. You have the word refuge mentioned three times in this psalm. Verse one, verse seven, verse eleven, you have the refuge referred to. You know there are a number of other titles given our Lord Jesus Christ beside a refuge. For instance, he's called the Rose of Sharon. The Lord Jesus, the Rose of Sharon. Why is he called the Rose of Sharon? possibly because of his variety, the variety of his virtue, of his graces. One time being in Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, that's supposed to be the greatest array of roses in existence. And you can go from bed to bed and read all the little labels, and every known rose is supposed to be grown in Stanley National Park. It's a marvel of display. And especially if you stand at the top of the hill, and the breeze is blowing up. You just want to stay there and inhale, take in deep breath. The aroma is wonderful. When I stood there on that occasion, I couldn't help but think of this text. The Lord Jesus is the Rose of Shepherds. Oh, the varieties found in Jesus Christ. The many graces, the many virtues found in the Son of God. But then think of his beauty. If you look at a rose, you say, isn't it, Duke? Beauty. But oh, you look at the Lord Jesus, the rose of Sharon. Isn't he beauty? He's altogether loveless. Think of his fragrance. The aroma of Jesus Christ has filled the century. The aroma of the fragrance of Jesus Christ will fill all eternity, except where the dams will be. Well, eternity the believers will see the beauty. of the land Christ Jesus and entail the fragrance of his precious person throughout all eternity. He's the Rose of Sharon. He's the root of David. The root is that which you cannot see and hidden. Simply means this. He's the root. He's the source of David. David was his offspring. Here you have his deity, the deity of the Lord Jesus. He's spoken of as the root of David. He's spoken of as the righteous one. He is faithful and just to forgive. How faithful, how righteous, how just he is to forgive, to cleanse from all unrighteousness when one is repentant and confesses his sins. He's the revealer of the Father. He reveals the Father in his words. He reveals the Father in his works. He reveals the Father in doing the Father's will. He's the revealer of the Father. And he's the reconciler. There's one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. He's the one who reconciles man unto God. He's the only one who can. He's the only one who will. And he's the restorer. He restores my soul. No one else can. He restores the ears of locusts of Eden. Isn't that marvelous? Back in Israel's day God sent the locusts because of their disobedience, their waywardness, their backsliding. God sent the locusts to eat up their crops. But God was willing to make himself known to them as the one who would restore to them the years that the yoke locusts had eaten. Here's a person he's away from God, a real Christian, a born-again Christian. How barren now is his life when once it was fruitful. The Lord Jesus Christ can restore to you the years that the locusts had eaten. You can say he, no one else, He, Jesus Christ, He restores my soul. And so He's the restorer. He's the rock. He's that dependable one. He said, Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. How wonderful to be resting upon that dependable rock, that solid rock, Christ Jesus. He's the rock. He's the regenerator. We're born from above. He's the one who trickens us into new creatures in Christ Jesus. He's the Redeemer. How wonderful to think of Jesus Christ as the Redeemer. My Redeemer, oh what beauty in that lovely name appears. And that Jesus in his glory can that honored title wear. My Redeemer, my Redeemer, oh how grand the call be mine. He's a Redeemer. In the Revelation they shall sing unto him as the Redeemer. Thou wast slain and hath redeemed us to God by thy blood. out of every kinded tongue, people and nation. In that glorious day they'll sing unto this Redeemer, the one who has redeemed us by his precious blood. We redeemed, we have redemption through this blood, even the forgiveness of sin. Then he's the grim reaper in Revelation chapter fourteen. You see him with that mighty sigh, for the harvest of the earth is come, and he is the grim reaper. though the blood is going to flow to the horse bridles for the space of two hundred miles, the exact length, the exact length of penalty. That day is not far distant, the Battle of Armageddon, and that blessed one, the Lord Jesus Christ, who today can be your refuge, and that day he will be the mighty leper. He'll descend the skies on his white charger. He'll put in his size. He'll reach the harvest of the earth. and all the assembled armies in the veil of the ghetto, and blood shall flow to the horse straddle, four feet in depth to the entire length of the land of policy. He's a coming reaper, and he's the rewarder, too. Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me to give to everyone that his work shall be. He'll reward his own. But we come back to our refuge, for that's what I meant to them. He's our refuge. Of all these lovely titles of the Lord Jesus, I love to think of them as my refuge. The first mention of this word refuge is found, I think, in Numbers chapter thirty-five or thirty-six, in connection with the cities of refuge. If anyone had killed anyone, another accidentally, less relatives of the slain man apprehend the one who slew him by accident and put him to death, God allotted certain cities, six in all. And the one who had slain this man by accident could flee to a city of refuge. And there have his case tried and received justice. It would be discovered that it was an accident and his life was spared as long as he remained in that city of refuge. That's the first mention you have of refuge. in their Bible. Then you have that lovely text we're all familiar with. In Deuteronomy the eternal God is thy refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms. What a refuge we have. You'll notice in this Psalm between verses one and eleven, especially verses two and three, you have mighty upheavals of national things on earth. But all factors of security have entirely vanished. You know when one stops to think of the days in which we live. I'm amazed we have the peace we have in a world of hostile nations, possessing arsenals of missiles, chemicals, and biological potential to destroy the Earth. Nations getting stronger by the hour, and no, this law cannot last much longer. The explosion has got to come in a world of heat, hunger for power, and a disregard for human life. It's got to come. One looks at the world seen and how it's worsening. It can continue in its present law. Especially in this past week, we discover that Communist China now has got a missile. And don't think that Communist China is going to use the restraint that Russia and the United States has used. When she's ready to use it, she'll use it. And you know in the Word of God in Revelation chapter sixteen where you have a terrible forecast of the future, where you might say you have the whole earth trembling like a devastated Phorashima and Nagasaki. For the scope of that judgment in Revelation sixteen is worldwide. And you know it refers to the kings of the east with an army of two hundred millions? The very eucalyptus is going to be dried up to make way for the kings of the East. Speaking of the power of China, and those nations she's bound to swallow up in spite of all that we do temporarily. Communist China is the power to be reckoned with, and God gives her special mention in Revelation in view of the coming battle of Armageddon. So the lull is very brief. One of these days is going to be broken. with that fearful explosion when these nations have got to in self-defense release their awful arsenal of destruction. How wonderful in view of that day to know that you've got a refuge. It doesn't worry me one day, not a moment. I think of that beautiful hymn written by Charles Wesley and the reason he wrote it. Charles Wesley was standing in his study When I was in England a number of years ago, I went into the little chapel where Charles Wesley used to preach. And I saw his horse stable, where he stable this horse that he rode from town to town preaching. And upstairs was his study, his apartment. Charles Wesley one day was standing in his study, and he was noticing the antics of a small bird. And no wonder the little bird was darkening and switching here and there. A large hawk was pursuing it. And as Wesley walked the little bird trying to escape, as this hawk would swoop down and just miss it by inches. Finally, the little frightened bird flew in toward the building, and the hawk was so closely behind it, it got it into the open window, and it lodged up under Wesley's coat. It lodged right here beside his hawk. And Wesley, as the hawk swept by the window, Wesley put his hands Upon the little bird or over it, the lowest little heart was pumping against its breath. He waited for a while to be sure that the large bird had gone, disappeared. And he put his hand in and he took out the little bird which was still panting quite heavily, and he released it. Charles Wesley went back to his desk and he wrote that hymn familiar to most of us. Jesus, lover of my soul, let me through thy bosom fly, while the bill's near me roll, while the tempest fill is high. Hide me, oh, my Savior, hide till the storms of life are past. Sake me to the haven guide, oh, receive my soul at last. But notice the next verse. Other refuge have I none. Hanged my helpless soul on thee, leave. All leave me not alone, still support and comfort me. All my hope on thee is stayed. All my help from thee I bring. Cover my defenseless head, meet the shadow of thy wing. You know, in connection with Christ being our refuge, you have a lovely text, O refuge, by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie that we might have a strong consolation. Those who have fled for refuge or flown like a bird to a refuge, We are fled for refuge, and they hold upon the hope laid before us even Jesus. Yes, Jesus Christ is the refuge for the frightened soul of man. Have you found that refuge? If you haven't, I trust you'll seek that refuge today and find it. Hide yourself there in. When the storm is soon to break, then there are going to be many little storms breaking your life. for the final one the storm of sickness may be begin to break now in your body the storms all sorrow the storms of unrest the wicked are like the troubles see when they cannot rest oh there are storms and I trust the storm of conviction is beginning to rage within your heart a conviction that will not stop until you know Christ is your Savior form that will not abate until you hear his word. Be still, beast be still, and the mighty calm settles down upon your soul. That's what relates to them. Thus we have the first verse of our hymn, those opening verses of the refuge. But now refreshments in verse four. There is a river. What a wonderful river this is. You know the Trinity is associated with the river in your Bible. Notice what we have in Jeremiah. It says, For my people have committed two evils. They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and huge them out, cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. Think of exchanging a living fountain for a broken cistern. That's what many women are doing today. God says, I'm a living fountain. All the things of this life are just broken cisterns. There's a hymn. We used to sing in the little chapel when I was a teenager. I used to hear it sung. But oh, not till I found Christ at the age of nineteen, because I had driven the meaning of it. I tried the broken sisters, Lord, but ah, the water stale. He and as I stooped to drink, they fled. They mocked me as I wailed. Now none but Christ can satisfy that none other name for me. There's love, there's life, there's lasting joy. Lord Jesus, found indeed. And I think that the world and the worldling, which are shaped the fountain of living waters, their broken sister. But that's what men and women are doing every day. So God is associated with this river. The Son is associated with it. Zechariah thirteen, one, in that day shall a fountain be opened for the house of David. For sin and uncleanness on that day is told that it's a day of mourning and repentance. When that day of mourning and repentance comes for Israel, then this living water will gush forth and meet the need of that nation. But remember, it can meet the need of your individual soul today. That day and mourning and repentance has come for you as an individual. And you're truly repentant before God. This living water will gush forth and flood your little heart. And that brings us to the next scriptures that have to do with the Spirit of God. and this living water, this living river. John chapter four, Jesus Christ said, Whosoever drinks of this water, referring to literal water, shall thirst again. But whosoever drinks of the water that I shall give him, it shall be in him, a well of living water, straying up into everlasting life. Here is this living water. Then he says in John seven, that last day, that great day of the beast. If any man thirsts, then I will come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me as the Scripture is dead. Out of his inward part shall flow rivers of living water. Just think he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive. When you receive Christ, then this living water in the question of the Holy Spirit will come into your heart, and it will be rivers of living water. In chapter four, it's a well of living water. But in chapter seven, rivers are living water. The well is for your own personal enjoyment. The rivers is for others, that others may enjoy this peace, this satisfaction that you have found. Go over in Revelation twenty-two, and the Spirit and the bride say come, and whosoever will let him take the water of light freely. Over Isaiah fifty-five and one, who every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters. He that has no money come by, wine and milk without money, without price. What a wonderful invitation to partake of this river of life that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit associates themselves with it. You know, this river in the Bible that I'm referring to is not like the river of cherished that dried up. Remember the prophet, he drank of the brook and the way. Finally, because of the dirt, the river chair has dried up, but not so with this river of which we speak. This river never dries up at school. I read another river in my Bible, and it's the muddy Nile. The Nile is a muddy river, but the river of which we speak and emphasize this morning, the water is clear as crystal. It's not a muddy Nile. nor is it furious like the river Kishon we read in the book of Genesis, for this river is calm. Job speaks of his brethren being deceitful as a brook, and he speaks of the deceitful maneuvers of a brook or a river. But ah, there's no deceitfulness in the river of which we speak this morning. This river is dependable as the truth. And so we have this marvelous river, cool, clear, fresh, and abundant. And Where's the source of this river? God himself is the mighty ocean. The heart of God is like a mighty Atlantic or a Pacific. All seven seas hold in one. Oh, the abundance of his mercy, the abundance of his grace, the abundance of his love, and the abundance, the superabundance of his power. He's inexhaustible in these waters. Attributes for things. But remember, if God is the ocean, Jesus Christ is the river that brings the content of that ocean into us, into our hearts. Who can grasp the ocean if you can. If you can grasp the river, God manifested in the flesh. We can grasp the magnitude, the might, the majesty of Almighty God. But oh, we can grasp it when we see it in human form. God manifests in the flesh. I can look at Jesus Christ and I can see something of what God is that he was God's Son. God is the ocean. Jesus Christ is the river. But the Spirit of God is the one who pours that living water into our hearts when we're prepared for it. When we're ready to receive Jesus Christ as our Savior. In your Bible you have a river connected with a garden over in Genesis chapter two. It broke into four heads. You also have a river connected with a city. We read it in our verse, verse four of this chapter. You have a river connected with a temple in Ezekiel forty-seven. You have a river connected with the throne of God in Revelation twenty-two and one. Thus you have refuge first. Then refreshment of death, of now finally rest. Notice verses eight and nine, they have to do with what God has done in the past, past death. The latter part of verse ten is what God will do when He will be exalted in the earth, we read here. But in between what God has done in the past and what He will do in the future, what do you have at the beginning of verse ten? You have rest, repose, relaxation, be still and know that I am God. As we reflect upon the past, what God has done in the past, as we think upon the future and what God is going to do in the future, here we are in between, within the flesh. What's my attitude, my frame of mind, my state of soul? Be still and know that I am God. That word, be still in fact. that praise was rightly rendered. Relax and know that I am the mighty one. God says, Relax and know that I am the mighty one. The city at that time was surrounded by Sennacherib and his mighty hosts, and inside was Hezekiah. God says, Be still and know that I am God. Relax and know that I am the mighty one. How wonderful that is. You notice in Ezekiel one, The cherry bins, I think one time we spoke on this years ago. The cherry bins let down their wings when they stood. Even these heavenly creatures, when they light, instead of keeping their wings up and keeping them flapping or fanning, they let them down. They rest. They relax. They relax. Even the cherry bins, the heavenly creatures do that. God says, you relax. You relax. Words, tension, strain, anxiety, nervousness. These are the words of the day. Who is not affected by the tension that's in the very air? I said, good pharmacist, one day after watching customer after customer walk away with pills, I said, I suppose, tranquilizers, nerve pills. He said, yeah. I said, Doc, how do you account for it? He said it's in the air, you can't avoid it. Tension. Tension is there. Today, tension, the strain of light, anxiety as to the future, nervousness, physical and nervous disability, and instability. Yes, these things. We've got a hold of people today. What's the true answer? We thank God for these catches that we can get. But what's the true answer? It's the know God. Be still, pray not, and know that I am the mighty ones of God. It's not the stillness of frozen fear, but this is the stillness of warm understanding love. For perfect love cast out of fear, the Bible says. We understand God in this perfect love toward us. Fear has got to flee. not the clutching, screaming child. And the father's trying to take it in to the breakers, as I've seen on several occasions. The father wants to take a little boy in to the wave while at the beach. When the little fellow scared to death and he screams and he clutches at his father, he doesn't want to go in. He doesn't have confidence. He doesn't understand his father. His father will not allow any harm to come to him. And today we as even Christians We lack confidence in God, as if God would allow us to be hard. Oh, for that stillness of confidence in God, be still and know that I am God. Repose, rest in perfect confidence. A few friends of mine, John Walden, Bill McDonald, Brother McDonald, has been here. Friend, he was head of the Neist Bible School. He had meetings here in Albany, in the chapel. John Walden, said to McDonald, we're going to take an airplane flight. In Chicago, I think to Minneapolis. John Walden had never flown on a plane. He was scared. So he told Bill McDonald, he said, Bill, he said, I don't like these things. I don't like to get there. Bill encouraged him. Oh, he said, oh, all right. He said, I've been a lot of flying. You'll be safe. Just trust the Lord. When they arrived at their destination, Bill turned to him. He said, well, John, how'd you like the flight? He said, all right, but I never did put all my weight on the seat. My guess is well, I've done it. The plane was holding them up anyway. You know, Christians are there and a lot of people spend their life sitting on the edge of the seat. A phrase that completely trusts the Lord. God is relaxed and knows that I am the mighty one. And for those who are not Christians, we want you to do just that. Let yourself go. The Lord Jesus has come unto me all you that labor in our heavy laden and I will give you rest. Oh, the sweet rest in Jesus Christ. If you come home at the end of a hard day's work, you can hardly drag one foot ahead of the other. just about staggered in. The first thing you want to do is just lock down in the first chair and just rest. Just rest. Much better when you can fall into bed and rest. Oh, poor sinners today are struggling and striving, trying to save themselves. That's why the Lord Jesus has come unto me all thee that labor and are heavy labor. Men and women are laboring. They're trying to save themselves. trying to engage in good works in order to obtain salvation. And they're burdened with the load of sin. He says, you that labor and our heavy laden, come unto me and I'll give you rest. Stop your work and stop tiring your burden. Just come to me. Rest, repose, relax in me, and I will give you rest. Here is refuge for security. in this refuge mentioned here. Here is refreshment, as seen in the river. But here is rest, repose, and relaxation in a whole salvation found in Jesus Christ. How wonderful to have such a Savior. He not only makes me secure, it is my refuge. He'll hide me from the stormbreak. How wonderful to have a Savior who refreshes my soul from day to day, of whom I may freely drink and partake. Then how wonderful to have one to whom I can come, pillow my weary head upon its death, place the full weight of my self, my soul, of all that pertains to me in life, the trials, the temptations, Just rest in Him, repose in Him, turn everything over to Him, and completely relax. This is a Savior we present to you this morning. Why carry that load of sin any longer? Why keep working and attaining no satisfaction, trying week after week to become a Christian, just another week of favor? Stop. Turn to Jesus Christ. His arms are extended. Come to him. He promises I will give you rest. Relaxation. Perfect repose. You want this refuge, this regression, this rest? It's yours in Jesus Christ. Will you take him? Will you take him now? Let us pray. Our Heavenly Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we come to be And we ask, by blessing upon thy word, this gospel heart will have found this refuge this morning, and have flown as a bird to the window, come to know Christ as that one who affords it dearly. Reflection, satisfaction, and perfect rest. And we ask this in our Lord Jesus' precious name. Now return to two hundred and forty-three. Two hundred and forty-three. Softly and tenderly, Jesus calling, calling for you and for me, see on the portals he's waiting and watching, watching for you and for me, come home, come home, ye who are weary, come home. Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus' calling, calling, O Son, I am. Two hundred and forty-three. If you trusted Christ, if you accepted him as your Savior this morning, or sometime previously we haven't told him, will you make a public confession this morning? And if you haven't yet made that decision, muster courage to ask God for help and make it as we stand and see.