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God is our strength
Father Abraham Srambical
South Peace News
There is a charming story of a young boy playing on the deck of a ship.
The skies had become dark and there was a violent storm in the sea. Waves were rising high and beat hard upon the ship. The ship began to rock dangerously on the waves. This was a passenger ship and there were many people on board. Everyone panicked on that ship. The boy continued playing on the deck of the ship, altogether unmindful of the present danger.
A woman rushed to him and agitatedly asked him, “What are you doing, my dear boy?”
“Can you not see I am playing?” said the boy.
“But how can you do that?” asked the woman.
The boy was surprised and replied callously, “What else must I do?”
The woman pointed out to him the dark and violent seas and said, “Can’t you see the water is rising. There is a storm. My boy, the ship is going to sink and we are all going to perish.”
The boy paused but a moment and continued playing.
“This ship sinking? That is impossible,” he told her.
The woman tried to convince the boy.
“It is going to happen and very soon.”
The boy was adamant though and continued his game.
“No, this ship cannot sink.”
Finally, the woman turned and questioned him.
“How can you say this ship will not sink? How do you know so surely?”
“I know that this ship will not sink,” said the boy confidently. “I know it because my dad is the captain of this ship.”
The little boy knew his father. He knew this great ship was controlled by his father. Nothing could happen, therefore, to the ship.
What we have before us is the trust of a child in the power and the capability of the father! This trust made him strong and unmoved against the violent sea and dark skies.
Storms have broken out in our life as well. There are times when we are sad and sick, friendless and confused, jobless and frustrated. There are times when work is heavy and consolation is hard to find.
While everything around us collapsed, we were sure we, too, shall be swept away in the destruction. We were lost because we thought we were alone and helpless. We thought there was no one to hold on to who was trustworthy and present to us.
It is to us that the psalmist responds with the message of salvation as he says, “God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in our trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)
Psalm 46 is a jubilant testimony of the faith of a person who trusts in God and for whom God has come to mean everything. God had a grip over him. The very thought of God was the joy of his heart. He trusts and rejoices in God whatever might to him. He declares that even if he loses everything the earth can offer and even if the earth itself disappears and everything crumbles away, he would not fear.
For his God was there for him to help him and hold him up. All that is within him rises above the storms of life to sing the exuberant creed of his faith, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change its shape, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult.”
So faith means we trust and rejoice in God whatever might happen to us.
Another translation of the psalm is “though the earth should dissolve”. What the Psalmist is describing is total devastation. Even if everything is lost and all that is below our feet disappears and the whole universe trembles, I will not fear. The psalmist is truly strong to declare that even if all this happens, he will not be moved!
And the reason for his fearlessness is only because as he declares right in the beginning that he has found God to be his refuge and strength and a present help in trouble.
During this recession time when we lose jobs or money we should trust on God, the refuge and our strength in our trouble. It is at such that moments the Lord reaches out saying, “I will never fail you nor forsake you.” (Hebrew 13:5)
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