Psalm 46:1-3
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Two days ago (On Ash Wednesday) many people received ashes on their foreheads with the words, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return.” I woke up today to news from Japan and the images are overwhelming. Every time I see a crushed vehicle or a collapsing building I imagine the people who were in them when the ground began to shake and the surge of water crashed through. The death toll rises with every report. People’s lives and homes have been ripped apart. Pain is everywhere. “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return.”
We live in a broken world where sometimes the earth itself gives way, where the waters roar and foam. We live in a world where death and despair can come in an instant. Amid all this chaos, we hear the words of Psalm 46:
7 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
God has not abandoned God’s people in this disaster. God is with the rescue workers as they desperately look for survivors. God is with the parents who don’t know if their children are even alive. God is with the families who have nothing left. God is with the business owners who no longer have a business to own.
The God who endured death on the cross now walks with those who endure pain and suffering in Japan. These things happen in our world. May God use us to support and provide for those in desperate need. May God comfort the grieving and heal the hurting. May God bring hope in despair. May God work to redeem the dust.
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