As we look forward to 2026 I would imagine that most of us feel very uncertain about the coming year. Some may be concerned for their children or for their parents. Others, not least those who are retired, may be concerned for their health. Probably all of us who live in the UK are concerned for the economic well-being of our country. All of us, wherever we live, must surely be concerned for countries where war is ongoing, such as in Ukraine, in Palestine and Israel, in Southern Sudan, and in so many other countries where people are losing their lives.
It is in this context that Psalm 46 is extraordinarily relevant. The Psalmist begins: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (verse 1) or in the words of the Good News Bible, “God is our shelter and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble”. Literally the Psalmist wrote that ‘a help in dire straits God is to be found abundantly’. Notice that the Psalmist does not say that God is a help ‘against trouble’, as if God enables us to live in some kind of bubble free from all trouble’. No, God helps us when are in the midst of trouble.
The Psalmist continues: “Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult” (verses 2-3). In other words “even if the unthinkable should happen” (Good News Bible) and our world falls apart, God will be there. Even if we lose our job or if our business goes bankrupt, even if a loved one dies or we are diagnosed with a terminal illness, God will be with us in all the mess and pain. The fact is that the so-called ‘prosperity Gospel’ is a heresy for it teaches that God guarantees financial blessings, physical healing and material well-being to those who in faith ‘name it and claim it’.
In the second section of Psalm 46 the writer states: “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God…. God is in the midst of the city… God will help it … The nations are in uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge” (verses 4-7). Here the Psalmist is using poetic language. I like the suggestion that the city of God is the human heart and that the river is the presence of God. Or in the words of the hymn by Anna Laetitia Waring, which begins, “In heavenly love abiding, no change my heart shall fear”, the hymn goes on:
The storm may roar without me
My heart may low be laid,
But God is round about me,
And can I be dismayed.
In other words, however tough life may be, we never walk alone, for God is with us. As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome: “I am certain that nothing can separate us from his [God’s] love: neither death nor life… neither the present nor the future… there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8.37-39 Good News Bible).
At the end of the third section of the Psalm we read: “Be still, and know that I am God!… The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge” (verses 10,11). In other words, when everything seems to go wrong in life, the Psalmist urges people of faith to still their hearts, to stop panicking, and instead put their trust in God. Or to put it another way, God through the Psalmist is saying ‘Do not allow your circumstances to get the better of you, rather allow me to get the better of your circumstances’. Notice too that the Psalmist urges us to “be still” (verse 10). If we are to cope with those times when we feel overwhelmed by trouble and difficulty of every kind, then we need to still our hearts before God, and gain strength and direction for the day or week that lies ahead. Let us in faith entrust 2026 to God and discover the difference that God can make. Whatever the future holds, we can face 2026 with confidence.
Many thanks for reminding us of Ps 46 in these uncertain times. Your commentary had a very real calming reassurance in present circumstances. Your ministry is greatly appreciated. May 2026 bring you an even greater sense of God’s hand upon your life and that of your family.
Thank you Paul for very worthwhile reminders at the sart of a new year,
Thankyou for your reminder that we have nothing to fear if we commend every part of our lives to God and , as my Mother used to say “put everything into God’s hands”.