God is our Provider

Yesterday, we looked at the first three verses of Psalm 46 and saw the protection of God, but today I want to call your attention to verse 4-7,In this stanza of the psalm, we move from the protection of God to the presence of God.  It is interesting to see the chaos of verses 2 and 3 and then to compare it with the calm of verses 4 and 5.  
I wrote recently on the rivers we find in the Bible coming from the Temple, but I think the point here is that we can rest in the joy that comes from the presence of God.  Joy is in this city because God is present.  Look at verse 5,In verse 4 we see the provision of God.  Water is abundant for many of us, but place yourself in the dry and arid land of the psalmist.  Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well, “but whoever drinks of the water that I give him will never be thirsty again.  The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”  (John 4:14) On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “‘If anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” (John 7:37-38) God provides.
Look at the stability of God in verse 5—everything seems to be falling apart, but God is still seated on His throne, and He is still in control.
In verse 6 we find the power of God.  The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; but God utters His voice and the earth melts.  Don’t fear what man can do—look at the power of God.  The very voice that spoke this world into being can speak the word and it will all melt.  
Then in verse 7 we see the defense of God...He is with us…He is our fortress.  This a different word than the word for refuge in verse 1.  It speaks of a fortress that is inaccessibly high…no one can reach us when we are in Him.  
We will look at the final stanza tomorrow, but rest in the presence of God today.