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God's Presence

This is the last Sunday of 2007.

Has the LORD been good to us through this past year? As with every passing year there are a number of changes while many other respects there is great continuity.

For myself the year began living in France with my thoughts turning increasingly to the move to Herne Bay. Moving house and country is a major event but the Lord proved Himself to be very gracious and you did a tremendous amount to prepare for the arrival of your new pastor. Physically that meant getting the Manse ready and more importantly you opened your hearts to us making the transition as smooth as possible.

For half a year now we have walked together before the LORD and I believe we have much for which to be thankful.

It was a blow to learn so soon after arriving of the closure of Herne Bay Court but it has been lovely to see how the LORD has faithfully provided for those most closely affected – the relocation of Joan Gunn and the important new ministry ahead for Paul and Diana.

Our meetings have been reasonably well attended with the weekly prayer meeting being a bright spot in the church's life. We've known some encouragements too with attendance at our special events over the Christmas period not to mention the joy of re-opening the baptistery after too long a period.

It's been a year too that has seen at least one of those with attachments to the church called home to glory.

And now we have to turn our eyes towards the future, to the year 2008 which will shortly begin. What can we expect from this New Year?

As we look ahead let's do so with our eyes firmly fixed upon the LORD our God and let His word set our priorities for us!

We've already considered a Psalm that is in a number of respects similar to this one when we looked at Ps.91. This is hardly surprising because after all our point of reference is the LORD and He does not change!

A number of themes are found in both Psalms such as God being our refuge and our fortress. Yet there are differences of emphases too – here in Psalm 46 we have a Psalm that is written in the plural and so deals especially with the community of the LORD's people and not just in an individualistic manner.

As such the Psalm is a good one to help us pass from review of an old year into anticipation for a new one.

Right at the outset the Psalmist makes a firm declaration concerning the faith of God's people.

"God", he says, "is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble"

And thus the major theme of the Psalm is laid before us. It is not so much that the LORD provides us with protection but that He is Himself our protection. His presence is everything the people of God need and having that they can lack nothing.

He doesn't just send us help but He is Himself present! Ready, able, willing and active in helping His people.

The Psalmist begins with this broad sweep of generalities and in a sense we don't really need anything more. If only we could trust our God who alone is trustworthy we would face the coming new year not merely with equanimity but also with a real sense of expectation and anticipation!

But the Psalmist is not content simply to make a declaration of his faith he wants to press home some of the implications of having faith in such a God.

In vv.2+3 he shows how such a confidence can work itself out in a world where everything seems to be going haywire.

All the things in which man might be tempted to put his trust – the stability of mountains for example – may be shaken and brought to nothing but for the believing community there is no cause for fear. We can, should and must face the future with a calm serenity. Let the atheistic scientist become be anxious about natural disasters, global warming and rising sea levels. We do not share his world-view of a world of incredible chance and we must not take on board his paranoid pessimism.

In some ways these verses seem to be portraying a reversal of creation. Instead of order being brought forth out of chaos the Psalmist seems to be envisaging a return from order to chaos. (Is the language employed descriptive of natural disasters only or is there a hyperbolic usage as well? Commentators are divided.) Whichever (and it is possible that both interpretations may be valid) God remains the same and the people who know Him to be their God have no good grounds for being affrighted.

Yes the waters may surge and roar with foam but just look at the contrast! A quiet stream flows and brings great satisfaction. It brings joy! What does it represent? Well it stands there indicating the blessings that flow from the presence of God Himself!!

Let us make sure in 2008 that we are not satisfied by anything less than the presence of God Himself! We're not to be caught up in seeking the gifts while ignoring the giver but we are to value Him above all else. As we do so then we shall enjoy many of His blessings as by-products of His presence with us.

This idea of "streams of blessing" is picked up elsewhere in the Word of God. For example there is in Ezek.47 a picture of blessings coming from the Temple. At first it's a trickle but it becomes deeper and deeper bringing with it life to all it touches. What a telling picture of the blessings flowing from the presence of God – the world says Christianity is dead but the Bible says wherever are found the blessings of the presence of God there there is life and joyous abundant life!!

In the NT Jesus could use similar imagery to speak of the presence of the Holy Spirit that He will give to His disciples: Jn.4:14"but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life."

The last book of the Bible contains the same imagery:

Re 22:1-2 "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations."

Once again the picture is of blessing flowing out from the presence of our LORD GOD! Let's look to Him for in the prayer meeting and expect it as we gather regularly together.

Yes, 2008 may bring sore trials and much in the world may very well be unstable but the people of God do not find their joy and stability in the world but in the delight of His presence.

This time the Psalmist is not highlighting the world of nature but the world of men. And how often it is true that the nations rage! At the present moment the UK has its armed forces engaged in two countries in peace-keeping activities/the war against terrorism. Violence on our streets continues to hit the headlines with a spate of teenagers being murdered. And in just the last couple of days a political figure of no mean importance in Pakistan assassinated leading to fears of civil war in that country.

But this has happened before – Ps.2 speaks of the futile nature of these nations as they strut the stage of world history – God is in no way threatened by this pomposity but sits in heaven and laughs. Here the Psalmist looks out on similar raging and affirms once again His conviction that God's presence is with His people and thus provides them with a safe stronghold!

The central truth of the Psalm is laid out simply before us as a refrain that will bring the Psalm to a close in v.11

"The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress."

Christians are to encourage one another – we're not on our own and sometimes we'll need another to help us look up and see that it is indeed the LORD who is in charge of all that happens. We're not victims of random, chance events with no meaning but we live in a world over which the LORD who is our God exercises His sovereign control!

He has brought desolations, He has also brought wars to their end, He has thwarted the evil designs of wicked men. What He has done in the past He will continue to do in the ears to come. We should therefore do just as the Psalmist is about to tell us to do.

God now speaks to His people:

"Be still and know that I am God"

Let this exhortation sink into us. Let us learn what it is to quieten ourselves and not to swept along by the events of the day that we may or may not understand. How easy it is for us to lose all perspective on things. We're often tempted to think that the times in which we happen to be living are the most significant times – they may be but we need to allow God to set us the agenda rather than the frantic activity and pontifications of mere men. Let us take time to be still and to enter into an ever closer communion with our God.

He declares here too that He has absolutely no intention of abdicating His throne and leaving it in the hands of however it might be!

"I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"

What might this mean in our situation? What might it mean for the progress of the gospel in Herne Bay?

Let's go forward into the New Year with our trust firmly in the LORD of hosts – the Mighty God – the prayers we have long prayed may be answered in 2008.

Remember we have the presence of Christ with us!! As He said to His disciples "I will never leave you nor forsake you" Heb.13:5.

Acts 3: 19-21 "Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago."

To God alone be the glory.