Last night I preached on one of my favorite chapters in the Bible—Psalm 46! Every week I spend time in God’s Word meditating on it, thinking on it, studying it, and preparing a message, but this week (especially!) God’s Word went through me and confronted me with my sin in finding protection in God + . . . whereas God’s Word so plainly says that God is our refuge and strength (Ps 46:1).
It was a tremendous evening together as we studied Psalm 46. Of course, we began our time by singing Luther’s famous hymn: A Mighty Fortress is Our God (German: Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott):
A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.
Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.
And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.
That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.
Listen here.