Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Help Is on the Way" Tuesday, 22 April 2014 - Read Psalm 46:1-11

Nashville, Tennessee, United States - The Upper Room Daily Devotional "Help Is on the Way" Tuesday, 22 April 2014 - Read Psalm 46: For the Chief Musician. By the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. [a]
1 God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we won’t be afraid, though the earth changes,
    though the mountains are shaken into the heart of the seas;
3     though its waters roar and are troubled,
    though the mountains tremble with their swelling.
Selah.
4 There is a river, the streams of which make the city of God glad,
    the holy place of the tents of the Most High.
5 God is within her. She shall not be moved.
    God will help her at dawn.
6 The nations raged. The kingdoms were moved.
    He lifted his voice, and the earth melted.
7 Yahweh of Armies is with us.
    The God of Jacob is our refuge.
Selah.
8 Come, see Yahweh’s works,
    what desolations he has made in the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth.
    He breaks the bow, and shatters the spear.
    He burns the chariots in the fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God.
    I will be exalted among the nations.
    I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 Yahweh of Armies is with us.
    The God of Jacob is our refuge.
Selah.
Footnotes:
a. Psalm 46:1 Alamoth is a musical term.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.--Psalm 46:1 (NRSV)
We live on top of a tall ridge in East Tennessee in a beautiful setting with a panoramic view of the Great Smoky Mountains. Frequently this serene setting is interrupted by the beat of the medical helicopter from the University of Tennessee Medical Center, which flies over our home on its way to the hospital. When we first began noticing the helicopter, we were bothered by the noise. As time went on, we realized that each flight meant that someone was in dire medical need. Each time we heard the helicopter, we would pray — for the crew and the people involved with this mission of mercy, that all would work out well and according to God’s plan. One day we were able to see a profoundly brighter side to these situations. Yes, the medical helicopter is sent out in serious circumstances. But the mere fact that it is in transit implies that help is on the way. Psalm 46:1 reminds us that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Today, we still pray for the helicopter crew and those receiving their services. But we also offer thanks that God is present, providing strength and comfort to each person.
The Author: Richard Armbrister (Tennessee, USA)
Thought for the Day: God offers us hope in times of fear and despair.
Prayer: Dear wonderful and healing God, thank you for your loving care and for those who are instruments of your love. Amen.
Prayer focus: Medical helicopter teams
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