Holy Confidence

Spurgeon rightly said that Psalm 46 has for its subject the “holy confidence” of God’s saints. He here names three things in which every believer in Jesus Christ should find confidence concerning our safety and security.

God is our refuge. All who were chosen by the Father in Sovereign election were put in Christ (Ephesians 1:3-4). We were represented by Jesus Christ when he forever obtained our everlasting righteousness and eternal redemption (Daniel 9:24; Hebrews 9:12). And now by the power of the Holy Spirit, we have fled to Him by faith for refuge. We being sinners are much like that manslayer who was pursued by the justice of God. But God has prepared for us a city of refuge which is Jesus Christ. So we fled to Him by faith and he is our refuge from the wrath of God.

God is our strength. When we were by nature without strength, in due time Christ died for our sins (Romans 5:6). So all that the Father gave to Christ he has redeemed by His blood. And all of those for whom Christ died shall come to him by faith. Therefore we who were without strength, by the grace of God were given spiritual life (John 3:3; Ezekiel 37:4-11). We were by nature like those dry bones in Ezekiel 37. We were dead and without strength to give ourselves life. But God in the power of the Holy Spirit gave us life and strength to believe on Christ (Psalm 110:3). And now we are kept by the power of God in faith safe until Christ returns (1 Peter 1:5).

God is our present help in trouble. Though chosen of the Father, redeemed by the Son and quickened by the Holy Spirit we are not exempt from trouble (John 16:33). But here is our comfort and confidence — that God is a very present help in trouble. Our God who has ordered the trouble and who controls the trouble will also be our present help so that we shall not fail or fall away from faith in Christ.

Therefore let this be all our confidence and song that Christ is our refuge from the storms of God’s justice and the storms of life. Be assured that God who was thy strength in the new birth will be thy strength to keep thee until you receive all your inheritance. Let us stand fast in Hope that God is our constant help in every trouble and from every trial.