‭‭Psalm‬ ‭46:1‭-‬11‬ ‭(ESV‬‬). “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah Come, behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with 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 fortress. Selah”

“Be Still” Advent Devotional 17th December ” - By Words of Hope:

“Be still, and know that I am God.” (‭‭Ps‬ ‭46:10)

“When I asked one of my Bible study friends what he most wanted for Christmas, he gave a wistful sigh and said: “Some stillness and silence would be nice.” How about you? Our Bible reading today suggests that God wants that for us even more than we want it ourselves. Psalm 46 begins with a promise that God will protect us in the hardest times, and it ends with a forceful command to be still.

I worry, sometimes, that I’m not cultivating that stillness. I’m not listening, not paying attention to God, not cultivating a quiet place on my insides where the voice of God can find resonance. I go skipping from one diversion to the next, skimming along on the surface of life and not going deep. Noise, hurry, and confusion seep into my life. Perhaps if I relied on God more as my refuge, he wouldn’t need to command me to be still and accept his help.

When I catch myself in a blur of worry and hurry I stop what I am doing, take a deep breath, and say to myself: “Be quiet. Be still. God is in control.” To be still doesn’t mean doing nothing. It means to stop acting like everything depends on you. It means to cease striving. The hymn writer Kathrina von Schlegel said it best: “Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know / His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.”

Today’ s Activity: Find a quiet place, by yourself. Turn off your phone and other distractions, and take five minutes to sit in the stillness.”

[Downloadable pdf advent calendar here. Picture by Anuj Radav at Unsplash]

God is our refuge and strength, a well-proven help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah Come, behold the works of the Lord, how he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with 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 fortress. Selah ~ Psalm‬ ‭46‬:‭1‬-‭11‬

Psalm 46 (NKJV)

God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. The nations 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

Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has made desolations in the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in 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

Daily Portions

by Joseph Philpot

They will spring up… as willows by the flowing streams. – Isaiah 44:4

The willow, we know, cannot exist without water; it must be near the brook or river, or it withers and dies. Take a young willow and plant it upon a mountain top or in the sandy desert, and it soon droops and perishes. But take the barest twig off the willow, and plant it near a stream, so that the water may reach it, and it will soon shoot downwards and push a vigorous stem upwards. So it is with the child of grace -- he must live by the river side; he must dip his roots into that"river, the streams whereof make glad the city of God,"and by it he must be continually bathed, or he droops and dies. He cannot live in the world, away from Jesus, his word, ordinances, house, people, presence, Spirit, and grace, any more than a willow can live upon the mountain top. He cannot live among carnal men, cut off from union and communion with his great and glorious Head, any more than the willow can thrive and grow in the wilderness. How beautifully is this set forth by the prophet Jeremiah --"Blessed is the man that trusts in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is -- for he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreads out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat comes, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit"(Jeremiah 17:7; Jeremiah 17:8). The saints of God, then, grow like "willows by the flowing streams." How enduring, also, is the willow. What life in every branch! and even when cut down low, still reviving "through the scent of water"(Job 14:9), and shooting out its branches afresh. May we not see in this a fitting emblem of the child of God, and admire how, like the willow, he preserves life and vigor when the nobler trees of the forest are blown down by the storm or are cut down for fuel?

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. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of our 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. Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. He says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted on the earth." The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Posting this as a personal reminder. I memorized this Psalm over the spring and summer--out of necessity, and revisiting it over and over and over. It was the light for me in a dark place, when all other lights went out. Today I was stressing about all the things I have to do and all the executive dysfunction/anxiety-depression combo that makes thing-doing so extremely hard. And God dropped this Psalm back into my mind. And doing the thing is still hard...but I don't have to be alone. I can take a minute to be still, and know that He is God and I am not, and be thankful. Then I can tackle the thing with the God who makes wars cease (!!!) behind, beside, and in me.

RELEASING HIS SPIRIT

"He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." - John 7:38

Many needed breakthroughs for the Body of Christ are awaiting the release of this river we carry within.

Hearts clogged with unbelief, doubt, and pain through trauma will receive a visitation of His power that will release the wells within.  Many in 2024 are going through fiery trials that are strategies from the enemy to cause fear and doubts to arise, to hinder or halt the flow of His Spirit.  Many in the Body of Christ do not realize the hugeness and the power of the river they carry within.

UNBELIEF AND DOUBT

Although the river within each Believer is infinitely powerful, many are not releasing this river as it remains contained within instead of being released as an overflow. Unbelief and doubt have arisen in hearts due to long-standing difficult situations, traumas, and grief that caused their hearts to be wounded. All of these have caused the soil of the hearts of many Believers to become hardened, hindering the flow of the river within.

Many Believers, therefore, do not walk in the overflow of His power that they were destined to walk in.to carry Christ calling. His Word, as it is released through affirmation, meditation, AND VISUALIZING THEMSELVES IN HIS WORD, breaks through the rocky soil of the heart, releasing healing to hearts that are wounded and simultaneously causing the river to flow untapped.

Jeremiah 23:29 says, "Is not My Word like fire," declares the LORD, "and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?"

RECEIVING HIS ENCOURAGEMENT

If you are in a barren place, where you do not feel the overflow of His river within you, the Lord is releasing this encouragement to you:

He is your ever present help in trouble. In Psalms 46, He promises that He, Himself, will help you and He will release a river of gladness within you. Psalm 46:4-6 says, "There is a river whose stream makes 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 the break of day."

As you become one with His Word, He ministers in the barren and rocky places of your heart. As you do so, His river of joy is released within to break the power of fear and desolation.

Hear the Lord's gentle warning to be careful of the condition of the soil of your heart. In Matthew 13:1-23, in the parable of the sower, as the seed was sown in 4 different soils, only one of them bore fruit.

The 3 soils that did not bear fruit represented hearts that the enemy stole the Word from as they experienced persecution, trials, and inability to allow the Word the Lord has spoken to them to take root. The soil of the heart that bore fruit was the heart that fully understood and received the Word of the Lord that was spoken to them and did not allow the cares and trials of the world to choke out the Word within them. In essence, a person's ability to release the river of God or anointing within them is determined by the condition of the heart.

Though you might be going through trials, these are the very conditions that will allow His river within you to flow as a powerful tsunami. In the natural, a tsunami is caused by a disruption or an earthquake. Supernaturally, the enemy attack that caused a disruption in your life will release the greatest tsunami of His Spirit through your heart as you allow the Lord to heal, strengthen and release His river within you!

ALBERT FINCH

“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.

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.

Come and see what the LORD has done, the desolations He has brought on the earth.

He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the shields with fire.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth change, though the mountains topple into the heart of the seas, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at their swelling. Selah There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God—the holy dwelling place of Elyon. God is in the midst of her, she will not be shaken. God will help her when morning dawns. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms totter, He utters His voice, the earth melts! Adonai-Tzva’ot is with us. The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah Come, see the works of Adonai, who brings devastations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear. He burns chariots with fire. “Be still, and know that I am God. I am exalted among the nations. I am exalted in the earth.” Adonai-Tzva’ot is with us. The God of Jacob is our strong tower. Selah ~ Psalm 46:2-12

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 it waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. 

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. 

Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. 

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” 

The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. 

‭Psalms 46:1-7 NKJV‬

[1] God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. [2] Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; [3] Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah [4] There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. [5] God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. [6] The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. [7] The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

https://bible.com/bible/114/psa.46.1-7.NKJV

“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. The nations 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.” —Psalm 46:1‭-‬7 (NKJV)

“Selah” is defined as having a few different meanings: ‘to hang’, ‘to praise’, ‘to lift up’, and ‘to pause’. The Amplified Bible adds in brackets, “pause, and calmly think of that” after “Selah,” which is a good definition.

This is such a nice picture for Psalm 46:1 and it immediately made me think that Spring will be here soon, with the spring beauty of flowers will be everywhere, all lovingly created by our Heavenly Father for us to enjoy.

God is truly “our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” and with God beside us there is nothing to worry about or fear.

And to carry on the flowers theme, the Word says, “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” —Matthew 6:28‭-‬33 (NLT)

God knows what you need and He is only ever a prayer away.

Friend, this spring, look around at the beauty everywhere. The Creator of all that beauty loves you and is on your side. There is nothing He can't do (Matt 19:26). Remember that, when the dark days in the valley come (which they will). But in the valley, God is your refuge and He also walks with you (Ps 23:4). And on the other side of the valley there will be days of light and beauty and flowers. Amen! 🙏🕊️🙌

“God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. The nations 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 Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has made desolations in the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in 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” Psalm 46

SUNDAY ANOINTING SERVICE. 21ST APRIL 2024. PART 1.

Psalms 46:4-5 (ESV) There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. By Pastor Lenny Were. ✓ Subscribed

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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. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of our 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. Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolation he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. He says, "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted on the earth." The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

The Songs of Zion in the Bible are a set of Psalms that declare the privileges of God's chosen city, Jerusalem, also called Zion, as the spiritual center for humanity, and in opposition to Babylon, the city of sin. And among these beautiful Psalms of praise to the blessedness of God and his city is Psalm 46. Psalm 46 is a song that begins with a declaration of trust in God and his protection of the chosen people. It is very probable that this Psalm was written to describe the time of greatest splendor of the holy city with its first temple, with the reign of the King Solomon, with these words the song begins: "God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!" Psalm 46:1-3. Then the Psalm praises God's blessing on Zion with a beautiful metaphor, because just as a river blesses a city with life, so the Lord blessed the city of Jerusalem with his spiritual gifts from his holy temple: "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" Psalm 46:4-6. And the Psalm ends its praise by stating that God desires to be recognized and adored, which is why the Lord manifested his blessing on Israel and its city, and thus with these words the song ends: "He says, ´Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.´ The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress" Psalm 46:10.

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,   the King of creation! O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy   health and salvation!     All ye who hear, Now to His temple draw near; Sing now in glad adoration!

Praise to the Lord, who o’er all   things so wondrously reigneth, Who, as on wings of an eagle,   uplifteth, sustaineth.     Hast thou not seen How thy desires all have been Granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, who hath fearfully,   wondrously, made thee! Health hath vouchsafed and, when

  heedlessly falling, hath stayed thee.     What need or grief Ever hath failed of relief? Wings of His mercy did shade thee.

4

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper   thy work and defend thee, Who from the heavens the streams of   His mercy doth send thee.     Ponder anew What the Almighty can do, Who with His love doth befriend thee.

5

Praise to the Lord! Oh, let all that   is in me adore Him! All that hath life and breath, come   now with praises before Him!     Let the Amen Sound from His people again; Gladly for aye we adore Him.

Your love remains

Through the darkness Through the fire Through my wicked heart's desire Your love remains, Your love remains Though I stumble Though I falter Through my weakness You are strong Your love remains, Your love remains Oh my, my soul, it cries Oh my, my soul, it cries for you Through my failure Through my heartache Through my healing In my pain Your love remains, Your love remains Though I stumble Though I falter Through my weakness You are strong Your love remains, Your love remains

For you are good to me, good to me my Lord

There is a river

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of our God (repeat) So I will rejoice I will rejoice And be glad There is a fountain full of grace and it flows from Emanual's veins It came and it healed me It came and refreshed me It came and washed my sins away!

Communion

Welcome family! Welcome relations! Welcome all! The house of the Creator is our gathering place today. The feast has been prepared for us all.

Let us share the feast of Holy Communion. Welcome to the table that binds us all together!

God, who walked with our ancestors, who walks among us now, and who will walk with our children's children for generations to come, we give you thanks for your presence.

In the air that we breathe, in the sound of rustling leaves and in the waving grass.we give you thanks for your presence. In the sound of children's laughter, and in the songs of our elders, We give you thanks for your presence.

Leader: Let us help each other stand and take off the robe of mourning.

Lift up your broken hearts: People: We lift them up to God Leader: Let us honour God People: It is right to honour God

Leader: It is right to honour God and to give our thanks. People: We give our thanks to God.

Why We Are Here

We send to you, Creator God, our dreams, visions, and prayers.

For the world: May the nations of the earth gather to listen to the heartbeat of God. May they sit in silence as the Great Peacemaker teaches and shows them how to walk upright. May the war clubs and instruments of destruction be transformed into life giving means of grace. (Isaiah 2)

For the hearts of the people, Created with your sacred fire burning within us, we confess that we struggle to live out of our great potential. When we do harm to your Creation, your creatures and fellow human beings, forgive us. When we fail to do all the good we can, in all the places we can, forgive us. When we turn away from your love and grace, forgive us.

Leader: Hear now the good news of Jesus Christ,

People: You are forgiven. I am forgiven. We are forgiven.

Leader: Peace be with you.

People: And also with you

Creator God, as we walk from this place with renewed strength for the journey before us, let us follow the path of Jesus, as the Spirit guides our steps. Help us to make wise choices in the days ahead, to serve those in need, to respect one another and all creation. As we wait for the day when we will be reunited with you and those who have gone before us, keep our hope alive and our footsteps on the path toward home.