Now the other day there was a pretty bad thunderstorm and lightning storms and trees fell at the house. And Cora, who's two, was pretty scared. She came running up to me every time it would thunder and I'd grab her and I'd hold her, trying to keep her safe. But it would thunder and she would still shake, even though she was in her daddy's arms. She was trying to get as safe as she could. But I couldn't keep her safe from the fear of that thunder. She felt a little bit of comfort with me holding her. But every time that thunder would shake the windows, that little baby would just shake. And it made me think how we as adults are vulnerable at times. When we see all the calamities going on in nature today, the many earthquakes that have hit California and Alaska one after another, we see hurricanes, tornadoes, devastating forest fires, and we want something to run to to just keep us safe. Something we can run to to take away the fear. But is it here? Is there something here you can run to and say, I'm going to be safe from that storm? I'm going to be safe from that forest fire? Physically, no. But spiritually, there is a mighty fortress for which we can run to. A mighty fortress who can take all of our worries, all of our fears, all of our anxiety, whether it be from natural disasters, or inner turmoils within yourself, or the fear of active shooters, or the fear of what's going to happen in our country with the divisive politics going on, there is a mighty fortress that we can run to. That is the title today, A Mighty Fortress, and it comes from Psalm 46. In this psalm we see, in verse 1, that we have a refuge, a strength, a very present help in the midst of all the trouble, any kind of trouble, we see that there's disasters. This psalm describes some of the worst scenarios you can think of, the mountains, some of the most solid things that you can think of just crumbling and falling into the sea. We see calmness. We see trust. We see God's works. And then we are told in the midst of all of these mighty, scary works, mountains tumbling, storms raging, nations raging, we are told to be still and know that He is God. And then we are told that the Lord of hosts is with us. So let's first look in verses 2 and 3 and 6 and 9. You're going to see calamities. They're there. They happen. They've always been. This is in verse 2, "...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." Then verses 6-9, "...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. Come behold the works of the Lord, what desolations He has made in the earth. He makes wars to cease unto the end of the earth. He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in sunder. He burns the chariot with fire." It gives us every scenario. Natural disasters, disasters of our own making, And still in the midst of that, he's telling us in the end of this psalm, be still, be calm, and know that I am God. We have these inner storms as well. We have struggles in our souls, struggles in our hearts, struggles in our minds. We're conflicted. We hate our sin, and yet we're drawn to it. We have situations in our families where we argue. The husband and the wife didn't get along that day. Brother and sister are fighting. Children are rebellious to their parents. Parents are provoking their children and snipping at them. Neighbors turning on neighbors. And yet we're told, be still and know that I am God. Now I want you to notice the connection in verses 2 and 3 and verse 6. It says, Though the mountains be carried, Though the waters roar, the words for carried and roar in verses 2 and 3 are the same Hebrew words that are used in verse 6, where it says, the heathens rage. It's the same word as roar. And the kingdoms were moved. It's the same word as carry. The point of using the same words like this is to show that whether the threat is from nature, whether it's from political upheaval, whether it's from wars, whether our world is shaking from nature, or our world is shaking from the nations, God is still our refuge. God is still our mighty fortress in which we hide. So it doesn't matter if it's natural disasters or if it's man-made. There is one place to go to in the midst of all those storms. It's not just a refuge, but an active counterforce to these storms. And it's a source of peace and refreshment. The peace I couldn't give to Korah when she ran to my arms. She was still shaking and scared. But God can give us that peace. Verse 6, the last part of that verse. It says that God's response to the raging nations is this, He utters His voice and the earth melts. Now normally when someone speaks and everything around them melts, you would have a great fear. But when we're running to that refuge, that mighty fortress, we know that the voice that melts the earth is holding you safely in His hand. He utters his voice and the earth melts. His response to the dangerous seas that roar and foam is to become for us another kind of water that we see further on in this chapter. A river, not a tumultuous sea. A river whose streams make glad the city of God. That is God's divine grace on us. A smoothly flowing, never failing river. of consolation to His believers. When the storms are raging, when the waters are raging, we run to the mighty fortress and He speaks. And the earth melts around, but we are with Him in safety and He is like a calming river that feeds us, that sustains us, that gives us peace, that gives us comfort. When we run to those mighty arms and the thunders shake and the mountains move, there's no shaking and trembling because we just aren't sure if He can keep us safe. No, we know He can. Korah couldn't be determined that I could keep her safe from that thunder. She ran to me, but she still had fear. But when we run to the mighty fortress that is God Almighty, nothing can penetrate His great barrier, His great walls. His voice melts the earth, and then the river that we are with Him at is calming and feeding and sustaining us. We don't always understand at all these storms that are raging. It's hard to make sense of it. I mean, I look at the life of Joseph in Genesis. Joseph did not understand at the time what was going on in his life. Moment after moment, situation after situation, it just seemed that God was turning His back on him. But Joseph leaned upon the mighty fortress that is God through every trial that he went through because he knew that God was in control. Some of y'all may have heard this little story. I think it's kind of humorous, but it fits well. There was a preacher that started at a new small country church. He gets up in the stand and he asked the old deacon there if he would say the opening prayer. The old deacon stands up and he says, I hate buttermilk. The preacher kind of opens an eye. He's like, I wonder exactly where this guy is going with this. Then the old man says, Lord, I hate lard. Preacher opens both eyes. Should I stop the guy? Where is he going with this? But he lets him continue. And the old deacon says, Lord, I ain't too crazy about plain flour. But after you mix them all together and bake them in a hot oven, I just love biscuits. Lord, help us realize when life gets hard, when things come up that we don't like, whenever we don't understand what you are doing, that we need to wait and see what you are making. After you get through mixing and baking, it'll probably be something better than biscuits. The whole point of the man's story is this ingredient's no good by itself. This ingredient's no good by itself. This ingredient's no good by itself. But when you put them all together, when the chef, the master chef, is mixing them all together and making something, it's delicious. You know what? That's the trials in our lives. That's the hardships we go through, the worries we go through. It just doesn't make sense. This sadness hurts. This trial is hard. This storm is scary. I don't like it. But when God is putting this trial, and this worry, and this storm all together, and you know that He is in control of it all, It gives you a peace that passes all understanding. Because you know the Lord Almighty is at work in your life. You know the Lord Almighty has a master plan for your life. Would you pick the trial on your own? No. Would you pick the storm on your own? No. Would Joseph have chosen to be thrown into a pit by his brothers? Absolutely not. Would Joseph have chose to be sold into slavery? No. Would Joseph have chosen to be falsely accused of improper behavior? No. where he had chosen to be thrown into prison and forgotten for years and years. He wouldn't have picked any one of those, but if each individual one of those things had not happened, God's people would not have been saved in the end. God had a master plan to feed his people through the famine, and it was through the trials and the hardships that Joseph would face. What about the New Testament church? Would they have chosen for Stephen to be a stone to death? Would the church have chosen to be persecuted, hunted down like dogs and killed? Would they have chosen to be jailed? Would they have chosen to be mocked and stoned? No! But each one of those actions set into motion another action when Stephen was cursed. And then they were hunted down, and they kept going, and they kept going. And you know what happened by them being chased down? The Word of God was spread to all the nations, because Stephen was killed, and the people ran, and they were hunted, and they were chased, and the Word of God spread. Because the master chef, the master has a plan. So in the midst of the trials, in the midst of the hardships, We run to the one place that we know is in control. The one place that we know cannot be penetrated by the forces of Satan. I like to think of the example of Martin Luther. Martin Luther set a storm in 1517 when he challenged the papacy. He was used to storms after that. He was used to trials and persecution. But then ten years later, the Black Plague hit. The church was decimated. People were just dying daily, hundreds and hundreds of people. In the midst of that, he's still being persecuted. So he pens a song based on Psalm 46. in the midst of people dying, in the midst of people being killed. He says, 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 does seek to work us woe. His craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate on earth is not his equal. 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 fail 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 good and kindred go, this mortal life also. The body they may kill. God's truth abideth still. His kingdom is forever. Amid such adversity, this embattled stalwart of God found comfort in these psalms. He found that God was never failing. Though they were dying from the plague or from persecution, God never failed. He had taught these psalms. He had translated these psalms. But now he found himself living this psalm. Many times during this dark period, he would turn to his friend Philip, who was a theologian, when he'd get discouraged, and he'd say, come, Philip, let us sing the 46th Psalm. In the midst of them dying in the black plague, in the midst of the church being killed or dying, he would turn to the mighty fortress that could not be penetrated by all the forces, all the evils that Satan could throw at it. His faith could not be shaken. How? How is this so? He truly lived Proverbs 3, 5 which says, So how, in the midst of these storms, in the midst of every trial, in the midst of anguish, pain, anxiety, and death, how do you have no fear? Look back in Psalm 46 verse 1. God is our refuge. God is our strength. And God is a very present help in trouble, in all troubles. So I want to take a few moments and I want to look at each one of these words, because to truly have that non-shaking confidence in God Almighty, this mighty fortress, we need to look at what He is to us in the midst of these storms. It first says that God is our refuge. A refuge is a place to which you would flee in times of danger. A lofty wall, a high tower, a fortress, Psalm 71 verses 1-3 says, And thee, O Lord, do I put my trust. Let me never be put to confusion. Deliver me in thy righteousness and cause me to escape confusion. Incline thine ear unto me, and save me. Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort. Thou hast given commandment to save me. Thou art my rock, and thou art my fortress." In the midst of trials, God is the rock, God is the fortress, the strong habitation, nothing that Satan can throw. No darts that Satan can come up with, no evil schemes that he has can shake the fortress of God. When you run to that refuge, just look back at Job. Job's faith was firm in God Almighty. Satan threw everything Everything he had at Job. The only thing he could not do to Job was to kill Job. He threw everything else at him. The storms came and killed his children. Thieves took his flocks. He was plagued with physical ailments. But yet his faith stood firm in God Almighty, because God was his refuge. His children were not his refuge. His wife was not his refuge. His wealth was not his refuge. His health and his body was not his refuge. Only God was Job's refuge. Only Job, only God was. So in the midst of all the fears, Proverbs 14 says, And the fear of the Lord is strong confidence. And the fear of the Lord. And his children shall have a place of refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life to depart from the snares of death. Because we hear in Psalm 46 that when the Lord speaks, the earth melts. That's something to fear. That is a mighty voice that can destroy the worlds with a word. Because He created these worlds with a word. He holds the worlds in His hand. That is something to tremble in fear at. And yet we can be calm and assured of our safety in the refuge of God. Proverbs 18, 10 says, the name of the Lord is what? It is a strong tower. The righteous run to it and are safe. Your faith cannot be shaken if it is planted firmly into the refuge of God Almighty. God is our refuge and strength of very present help and trouble in the midst of all disturbing news stories of nations at war. political upheaval, Christian persecution, it's easy to quickly feel overwhelmed and vulnerable. We know that man is sinful. We see the sad results of that sin every day. For those of you that try to stay away from all the politics of the world, like we said, we see natural disasters, storms all over the globe, hundreds of people dying in natural disasters, the tornadoes, fires, hurricanes, earthquakes followed by earthquakes. It's hard to feel safe sometimes. But where do you run to? Where do you hide? Where do you flee for your safety? We flee to the refuge, the strong tower, the fortress, because it has no weakness and no flaw. It's the only place where true safety is found. So when you're fearful, when you see the storms coming, whether natural, man-made, or inward, We need to run to the God who controls the heavens and the earth. Who created the heavens and the earth. Who flooded the earth. Who saved man through that flood. He held the sun still. He parted the waters of the river. This is the same God who calms stormy seas. The same God who walked on the water, the same God who healed the lame and gave sight to the blind. This is the same God who raised the dead and Himself conquered death and rose from the grave. This is the same God who ascended into heaven and there He rules upon His throne. And Jesus Christ is there. Advocating for you and for me. That is your fortress. That is your assurance that Jesus Christ rose from the grave and stands in heaven now. Advocating to God the Father for you. So when you're overwhelmed, when you're scared, no matter what the situation, no matter what the troubles, Run to the refuge of God. Next, let's look at strength. God is our strength. He is our refuge and a strength, a very present help in trouble. This word strength means, in its original language, power, might, as in a strong tower. God is that source of strength for us, to those who are weak. Can you control the hurricanes? Can you control the thunderstorms? I couldn't control the thunder when I was holding my daughter. You can't control it. Can you control the active shooter? Can you control the nations that are at war? No. We feel helpless. I can't do anything about all the troubles that are out there. But someone can. Someone can keep me safe in the midst of all of these trials. That strong tower. Think back to any medieval castle movie you've seen and how often the strong tower in the middle of the castle grounds becomes that last place of refuge for safety. The moat's been breached, the walls have been climbed, and a hole has been knocked through the walls from a catapult launching some massive stone. I like to think of the Lord of the Rings trilogy here. The story of Helm's Deep. It's a place that no army had ever penetrated, where the people of the nation of Rohan could hide in confident safety. only to finally face an army so evil, so dark, so vile, an army who refused to quit, and an army who knew of one weak spot on this outer wall. And to the dread and horror of the king and the army of Rohan, the wall is blown to bits by trickery never seen before. With much shame and shock, the king rallies his troops and he says, come to the keep. It's the inner tower of their fortress. Now, the outer fortress had never been broken into, but now it was, but they knew that the keep would keep them safe. But then, alas, only again to realize that the door of the keep was being broken down, their last stronghold of safety. Now, they had great warriors. They had the Elf Army, they had, I forget their names, Aragorn and the the elf, and Gimli the dwarf. They had them. Great warriors. But even all that courage and all that strength and all that might and that skilled army could not stop the forces of evil. Thankfully for them in this story, it turns out good. They had Gandalf and the big army of the horse riders. They come in and save the day. But without that rescue, Without Gandalf and the riders of Rohan coming in at the very last second to save them, could the fortress provide them the safety that they needed? Could the keep hold? No. The one thing that they counted on for their ultimate safety, Helm's Deep and the keep, that no one could penetrate, failed them. It failed them. But your keep is the strong tower of God Almighty. A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing. Our Helper, He amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing. Nothing could fail the wall of God Almighty. On earth is not His equal. No trickery, no army of darkness, no full force attack of all the evil schemes of Satan can shake the tower of God. There is no evil, no strategy, no army that can prevail against the strength of our strong tower. A mighty fortress is our God. A bulwark never failing. Never! There is no weakness in Him. He is our strong tower. He is our refuge that we run to, and He is the mighty fortress that keeps us safe. And then in verse 1 it says, He is a very present help in trouble. Help means a protection, a refuge, something to sustain you, something to give you strength and nourishment. As the only refuge, strength, strong tower, and fortress, there is no greater help that we can need or desire than God. Only God can provide us that safety that we need. Only He can give us the help we need. Only He can provide the succor that we need. the support in hardships and distress. There's no self-help books, no course in college, no therapist outlet, debating strategy, fighting style, exercise regimen you want to go through. Nothing can provide the sucker and help like the help of our Almighty God. This Word is so powerful right here. What do you see before you see that He is a help? He is a very present help. Present. That means He exists. He is real. He's not a thought or some figment of imagination. God is real and He is presently with you. God is not aloof, watching from afar, just watching to see what happens with His people. God is very present. That word very is just an emphasis on the word present. He is right beside you, right with you, holding your hand. He's not far off. You don't have to go searching and wondering, where is God? He is with you. He is your present help. It's like that poem, the footstep in the sands, that's what it is, where you see two sets of footsteps, and all of a sudden you see during your hardest times, your biggest trials, it goes down to one set of footsteps. And you say, Lord, you were walking with me the whole time. And then when things were the hardest, I was having the most trials and turmoils and anguish, you left me because there's only one set of footsteps. He says, oh dear child, that's when I carried you. God is that present help with you now. Not later, not after you need him. God was with Joseph in the pit. God was with Joseph at Potiphar's house. God was with Joseph in the prison. God was with Stephen as he was being stoned to death. If Stephen was on his own, he would have never have said, don't lay this sin to their charge. But he did not fear death. Stephen had no fear, because he was secure in the mighty fortress of God. And in the midst of death, as those rocks are hurling at him, his confidence is so sure, he cannot be shaken, his faith is so firm, that he says, God, don't lay this sin to their charge. because he knew that God was present with him. Through all the trials that Paul went through, through the shipwrecks, through the beatings, the whippings, the lashings, the stonings, his faith never failed because God was very present with him. Jim Elliott did not fear death when he went out on the mission field because God was his very present help with him right now. God is with you. God is right beside you. He is a very present help. He is our strength in trouble. Trouble is something we all try to avoid. We don't go looking for it, or you shouldn't. We all want to avoid trials. We want to avoid hardships. We want to stay away from it. But the truth is you can't stay away from trouble. It's out there. It's real and it affects all of us. We learn of those troubles in this psalm. They're natural disasters, the results of man. So this is how we find our comfort in the midst of these troubles that you know you will face. The trials that you know are going to come. The hardships that are going to come. The loss of a family member. The fight with a loved one. The physical ailments. The deadly disease. The natural disasters. They are coming. They're here. They're going to affect you. Where do you run to for your comfort and your support? Is it in the things that are failing and dying? Is it in the earth that can melt away? In the mountains that can fall into the sea? Or is it into the great refuge of God? Our comfort is in knowing that we aren't facing the trouble alone. It comes in saying that, God, You are with me now. You are present right beside me. I don't have to wait till the end of my life to find You. You are here with me now. He exists. He's real. He's not just a thought or an imagination or some fairy tale you heard as a kid to make you not fear the thunder. He's real. And He's present, holding your hand. Better than that, holding you in His hand. And He will never let you go. That gives confidence in every trial that you will face and knowing that His presence is actually helping you in the storm. He's not going to just be there to dust you off after the storm, waiting on the other side of it. He's with you in the storm. He's actively working in your life, working in you according to His master plan. He's taken the raw flour, He's taken the buttermilk, and He's mixing them together to make something delicious. He's working in your life right now in the midst of the trials. What assurance! What comfort! What confidence to go out and face the trials that are coming. So when you feel fear, weight of troubles around you, overtaking you, remember, He's with you right now, caring for you. And in the midst of all of it, He is protecting you in His mighty fortress. You know, it tells us in Genesis 1 that we are created in His image. Each of us are knit into our mother's womb, it says in Psalm 139. God's involvement in your life does not stop there at the knitting in your mother's womb. The book, Devotional Doctrine by Aaron Armstrong, puts it this way. God's moment-by-moment involvement with us does not end at our birth. It continues throughout our lives. Jesus tells us that God knows the things you need before you ask him, Matthew 6, 8. He provides for our daily needs such as what we will eat or drink. Matthew 6, 25. Is working all things. Romans 8, 28. Is actively working in our lives. Philippians 2, 13. Jesus himself showed the loving nature of God when he humbled himself to take on flesh. Became like us so that he might redeem us. This does not describe an uninvolved, far-off, unknowable, uninterested God. It is instead a glimpse of a close, deeply personal, involved, and caring God." He did not just create you and set back to see what would happen. He is walking with you every step of this trying life. Therefore, verse 2 of Psalm 46, because God is your refuge, because God is your strength, because God is your help, because God is presently with you, therefore we will not fear. Now let's have a look back at the list of things to be calm about and have no fear. The earth gives way. Have no fear. The mountains are moved. Have no fear. The waters roar and roam. Have no fear. The mountains shake. Have no fear. The nations rage. Have no fear. Kingdoms fall. Have no fear. The earth melts away. Have no fear. Charles Spurgeon says, the overthrow of dynasties, the destruction of nations, the ruin of families, the persecutions of the church, the reign of heresy, and whatever else may at any time try the faith of believers. Let the worst come to the worst. The child of God should never give way to mistrust. Since God remains faithful, there can be no danger to His cause or people. When the elements shall melt with fervent heat, and the heavens and the earth shall pass away in the last general conflagration, then shall we serenely behold the wreck of matter and the crash of worlds. For even then our refuge shall preserve us from all evil. Our strength shall prepare us for all good. Look in Romans chapter 8. Let's go to Romans 8 verse 28. And we see this laid out for us. That God is working His master plan through every trial. You know what? He's not a reactive God waiting for some trial to happen and all of a sudden He has to figure out what to do. God has had a plan from the very beginning. Romans 8.28 says, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose. You know why? Because we are secure in God. God's love for us is secured in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. We can flee to the strong tower because the blood of Christ bought us safe passage. We can completely find safety in the mighty fortress because the blood of Jesus Christ keeps us there. Look in verse 31 through, well, let's just go back to 28 and read all these. We can't pass them up. We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose. And here's His plan. For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of a son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called. Whom He called, He justified. And whom He justified, them He also glorified. What shall we say then to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? And what did He give us? He gave us the greatest gift, Jesus Christ. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It's God that justifieth. Who is He that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? Because those are coming. As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Hey, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded, I'm confident, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God. which is in Christ Jesus. That is your mighty fortress, Jesus Christ. You cannot fall away. You cannot be harmed. Nothing can take the love of Jesus Christ from you, because Jesus Christ has bought your passage into the mighty fortress that cannot fail, that has no weakness. or flaw, that mighty fortress will always stand and you can find complete, complete safety and assurance through the blood of Jesus Christ. That's why I love the verse in Isaiah 26.3, He shall keep you in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed upon you. Why? Because He trusts in you. Trust in that mighty fortress and you will have that peace that passes all understanding. Now look, back in Psalm 46, through all of this, because God is our refuge, our strength, our help in trouble, Therefore we will not fear, though the mountains move, the earth melts, nations rage, no matter what it is." We go to verse 10. In the midst of all the trials and hardships, be still. Be still and know that I am God. Be still. You know what that actually means? It means to let fall, let your hands hang down, to be relaxed, slackened, not making any effort of putting forth exertion. You know why? Because you cannot fight against all the forces of Satan if you're not inside the mighty fortress of God Almighty. Be still and know. Be still. Be calm. It's the same word in Exodus 14. When the people of Israel that fled Egypt, they're leaving, and all of a sudden a great fear comes over them. And they see the mighty army of Pharaoh coming towards them. They're panicking. They don't know what to do. And Moses says these words, stand still and see the salvation of God. Because the people couldn't fight against Egypt unless God was by their side. It's the same word that says be still and know. Know means have a confidence. Observe, be aware. God, the present help is with you. When you know that He is holding you in His hands and carrying you through that storm, then you truly can be still and see the salvation of God. That means no anxiety. Be calm, confident, in a trustful state of mind, in the view of the displays of the divine presence of God's power. Be aware that God is in control. Be calm. Be confident and know that He is God, the strong and mighty tower. And then in verse 11, the Lord of hosts. The Lord of hosts. Do you know what the hosts are? All the armies of heaven. The LORD of the hosts of heaven is with you. All the darts of Satan, all the trickery of Satan, all the armies of Satan cannot match the Lord of hosts. And it's not just His army that is with you. It's not just the host. It's the Lord of all the hosts is at the forefront of His army, leading the charge against a defeated and scared Satan. Satan knows he has lost. He knows the war is over. And he wants to take everyone down he can with him. But God will not let him into his fortress. It is secure. The Lord of hosts guards the door of his fortress. So the same God who created the heavens and the earth, who formed man in His image, breathed life into your nostrils, flooded the earth, brought the plagues, parted the waters, and held the sun still. He's the same God. The same God who is now watching over you. The same Jesus Christ who calmed the stormy seas and walked on the waters. The same Jesus Christ who healed lepers, loved the beggars. The same Jesus Christ The same Jesus Christ that defeated death and rose again. The same Jesus Christ whose blood has been the salvation for all His people is present with you. So be still and know that He is God. And know that you are in the security of a mighty fortress that cannot fail. Let's pray.