Mid-week Message

Grace and peace to you through our Saviour, Jesus Christ,

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea. ...The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” - Ps. 46:1,2,11

As Montreal enters the second wave of the pandemic, we are all digesting the news differently. Amidst our myriad ways of dealing with this, the one constant in all of our lives is learning to live with uncertainty. This is hard for us because many of us in North America have not experienced uncertainty on this level before. And yet, we are all learning how to have faith in the midst of uncertainty.

Psalm 46 is a comforting Psalm in this context. This Psalmist also experienced uncertainty. In this poetic prayer they take two elements of life that remain constant—the earth and mountains—and say that they are changing and shaking in the heart of the sea. The sea was a symbol for chaos in the ancient world. The image of mountains—a stable force—shaking in the heart of the sea—chaos—is poignant.

Even though they faced so much upheaval and uncertainty, they found their refuge in God. Through it all, God remained constant. God was their “refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Sometimes in life it seems like everything is changing all around us and that the uncertainty we are experiencing can engulf us. But God does not change. God is always present with us. God is a refuge in the midst of uncertainty. When we put our trust in God, the world around us can change, but we will be on a firm foundation.

Go in peace and serve God,

Rev. Sarina