A Mighty Fortress in the Storm - Psalm 46 God is our refuge and strength

Here is a very encouraging sermon my Pastor preached at a prayer meeting on Psalm 46.

1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

(A brief study of Psalm 46, adapted from my church's Prayer Meeting Exhortation on 29 Feb 2008)

Psalm 46 is a very well-known and comforting Psalm. It is well-known that Martin Luther would sing it when he felt discouraged or sore-tried in his fight against Rome. We read that there were moments when Luther would feel something akin to despair, and he would ask with the Psalmist: “Why art thou cast down, O my soul?” In such hours, he would say to Melanchthon, “Come, Philip, let us sing the 46th Psalm” and the two friends would sing it together using Luther’s famous paraphrase of it.

But this Psalm is not only a comfort in times of ecclesiastical or political conflict. It is of great comfort whenever we are facing an uncertain tomorrow or anticipate a severe trial.

Every Christian may sing this Psalm, for this Psalm is given by our Lord, that we may sing with Him. He speaks of Himself apart from us, but once in verse 10 where He says, “I am God.” But everywhere else, He puts Himself as one amongst us that we may sing with Him as ‘we’ and ‘us’.

How does this Psalm comfort us in times of severe trial? It comforts us by encouraging us first of all to…

1. Fear Not

We need fear not because God is our strength and very present help in trouble.

1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

We all go through different kinds of trials. It could be wars or quarrels. It could be church splits or severe disagreements. It could be natural disasters or political turmoil. It could even be personal struggles—conflict in the soul or the prospect of an impending trial.

Whatever it is, it can be very fearful to think about what will happen next. Indeed, very often we will think of the worst scenario, and we can get unduly worried.

Well, the Psalmist does not comfort us by saying that it will not be as bad as we think. The fact is that we don’t know what will happen tomorrow, and what happens may indeed be as bad if not worse than what we anticipate it to be. It is foolish, therefore, to comfort ourselves by saying, “Peace, peace; when there is no peace” (Jer 6:14).

What then shall we do? Well, in a certain sense, the Psalmist teaches us not to imagine the best scenario, but to imagine the worst. What else would we mean when we sing:

…though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.

How else could we imagine a worse scenario—than the earth being knocked out of orbit, the mountains blown off and cast into the sea, and where there are gigantic tsunamis and earthquakes everywhere? We are speaking metaphorically, of course. But is it not true that sometimes when terrible things happen to us, we feel our whole life crashing around us and everything in turmoil?

But what shall we do if the worst should indeed happen? Well, the Lord by His spirit would remind us that we need not fear. We need not fear because we have God as our refuge and our strength. When everything crumbles around us, when the whole world crumbles beneath our feet, we would still have somewhere to hide, and someone who will give us strength.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

God who loves us will always be there for us to hide us, to strengthen us and to help us no matter how bad things may turn out for us.

Therefore, we need not fear. Rather let us learn to run to Him, to hide in Him and to find strength in Him. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

But not only should we not fear, we also need …

2. Move Not

4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. 6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. 7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

What is it to be moved? It is to be shaken. It is to despair and to give up. It is to allow Satan to have victory. When a kingdom is moved as in verse 6, the kingdom is destroyed or displaced, and the people are scattered and brought to despair of ever returning to their home land.

If the church is moved, she is shaken from her moorings of truth. She begins to doubt the purpose of her existence. Her members begin to scatter. Her leaders are too discouraged to do anything.

If a Christian is moved, he is in despair. He loses confidence not only in himself, but in God. He doubts God, and he is tempted to forget about living a righteous and holy life. Indeed, he is tempted to leave the faith altogether.

But we need not be moved. We need not be moved because the Lord is in us (v 5) and with us (v. 7). He will help us. He will help us early when we are in need of help (v. 6).

How is the Lord in us and with us?

Verse 4 gives us a clue.
4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

What is this river? It has been suggested that it could represent God the Father (Jer 2:13); and God the Son (Zec 13:1). But it appears to me that this river is very likely a reference to the Holy Spirit and the blessing that He brings to His people. The Lord Jesus was referring to the Holy Spirit when He says:
“He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (Jn 7:38).

One of the verses that the Lord is referring to, I believe, is Zechariah 14:8, which reads—
“And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem…” (Zec 14:8a).

God is with us and in us by His Spirit. For this reason, we shall not be moved. For He will never leave us nor forsake us; and as the apostle John puts it, we have and will overcome because greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world (1 Jn 4:4).

The believer in whom the Spirit dwells will not be moved, therefore the church which comprises of believers in whom the Spirit dwells will not be moved.

Let us therefore pray for the Spirit as the Lord teaches us to:

“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Lk 11:13).

If we want to remain steadfast in the midst of adversity, let us learn to pray for the Spirit and rely upon the Spirit.

But finally, in the midst of adversity, let us learn to…

3. Fret Not

8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. 9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. 10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

“Be still, and know that I am God.” What is the meaning of being still? It is not to sit there and be inactive. It is essentially to fret not, not to allow emotional turmoil to overwhelm us.

But why are we to be still and to fret not? The reason is very simple, namely that the Lord, He is God. “Be still, and know that I am God.” Who is this ‘I’? This I is He who identifies Himself with us when we sing ‘us’ and ‘we’, but He is also God. Who is this ‘I’, but Christ Himself.

The writer of Hebrews tells us:

“2 [God] Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb 1:1-3).

Christ has been appointed the heir of all things and by the Word of His sovereign power is bringing all things to pass.

The natural disasters in the earth, the wars and the peace in the world do not come by chance. They are ordained by the Lord, and brought to pass by His sovereign power. They are all the works of the Lord, verses 8 and 9.

Why does He bring all things to pass? He brings all things to pass for His own glory (v. 10), and for our sakes, which is the reason we can confess, “The LORD of hosts is with us” (v. 11).

Therefore, in the midst of turmoil in our soul and in our lives, let us learn to be still and know that He is God. Let us cease to fret, let us cease from frantic activity. Let us be still and let God be God, to taste and see that He is good; and He will see to it that His name will be exalted and good may come out of the turmoil.

Conclusion

Beloved brethren and children, do you have occasion to be tempted to despair? Are you going through a particular trial at the moment?

Fear not, for God is our strength and very present help in trouble. He will never leave us nor forsake us. He does not stand by to watch. He is ever present to help us moment by moment, so that help is but a prayer away.

Move not, for God is in us and with us by His Spirit. We are not powerless for He who dwells in us not only comforts us with a sense of our Father’s love, but gives us the strength that we need, to cling on to the promises of our Lord.

Fret not, but be still and know that He who is God and our Sovereign LORD is also our compassionate Great High Priest, who was tempted at all points like as we are and yet without sin. He has been through a trial far more intense than any of us will ever experience. He understands and He cares. He is interceding for you. He will see to it that your trial will work out for your good and redound to our Father’s glory.

Amen.

—JJ Lim (28 March 2009)
Pastor of Pilgrim Covenant Church (PCC)

The Glorious Sun behind the Storm Clouds (Psalm 47)

(a brief study of Psalm 47, adapted from my church's Prayer Meeting Exhortation on 7 March 2008)

Psalm 47 and Psalm 46 are distinct psalms. But the Holy Spirit has so put these 2 psalms together that it is, I believe, very profitable to look at Psalm 47 in the context of Psalm 46.

Psalm 46, is set in an ambience of great anxiety. The people of God are experiencing great turmoil of heart and mind and things are expected to get worse. Our Lord gives us this Psalm that we may sing at such times. He exhorts us to be still and know that He is God. He would have us fear not because God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble even if the worst calamity were to happen.

But now we come to Psalm 47, and it is a very joyful Psalm. “O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph” we are enjoined.

So it appears that the troubles are over and we should sing Psalm 47 as a celebratory song only when the troubles are all over.

But does this Psalm teach us to do that? Well, I would put it to you that this is not the case; for if you look at verses 3 and 4, you will see that this song is to be sung in anticipation,—and not merely in celebration,—of victory and rest. Notice the future tense. The enemies are not yet subdued. The war is still raging. Our inheritance is not yet enjoyed.

Psalm 47, in other words, is not an inappropriate song to sing even when the church is going through severe trials. Indeed, it is a Psalm, I believe, that God’s children throughout the ages can sing to praise the Lord and encourage ourselves through all the pains and struggles that we face in this present life.

Let us look at this Psalm.

This Psalm has a very unique structure. It has two parts that are separated by a key verse, namely verse 5. In each of these parts, there is a call to praise the Lord followed by the reasons to do so.

Let’s look at the key verse first, for this is central to this Psalm.

1. The Key

5 God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.

What is this verse referring to? Some think that this is referring to the ark of God being brought into a battlefield like in the days of Eli. But most commentators agree that it is a reference to the ark being brought up into Jerusalem by David.

But why is this event important to us? Well, this event is important to us because the New Testament teaches us it was a very symbolic event. It pointed to the ascension of Christ into heaven after His crucifixion and resurrection.

This is what the apostle Paul alludes to in Ephesians 4:8, where he quotes Psalm 68:18.
What about the reference to a shout and the sound of a trumpet? Well, these seem to apply more to the coming of Christ, for Paul says:

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God…” (1Th 4:16).

What then has the shout and the trumpet to do with the ascension of Christ? Well, it has everything to do with the ascension because as the angel told the disciples:

“This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

I am not sure if there were trumpets and the shout of the archangel at the ascension of Christ, but one thing is certain. The ascension of Christ and His return are intricately tied events. Christ will return because He ascended. Christ’s ascension signalled the beginning of the God-Man’s triumphal rule as God and King.

To put it in another way: The ascension of Christ is one of the most important bases of the Christian hope. The cross is important. But except that Christ rose and ascended to heaven, we have no basis to hope that there will ever be perfect peace and perfect joy in this sin-scarred world.

With this in mind, I believe we can begin to get an idea of what the Spirit is seeking to do in our heart and mind through this Psalm.

The Spirit wants us to look unto Jesus in His ascension and to think of all the things that He has done for us, so that everything in the world begins to pale into insignificance and become strangely dim. The Spirit wants us to bask in the glory of our ascended Lord that our hearts may be filled with praise and thanksgiving in the knowledge of peace and victory through Him our Lord and King.

With this in mind, consider the first half of this Psalm, which is …

2. The First Call to Praise

1 O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.

This is not a call for us to clap our hands in worship. No one in his right mind throughout the history of the people of God from Moses, to David, to Pentecost, to the Reformation would clap their hands in formal worship. Certainly no one would clap their hands while singing this Psalm! And never would the temple be filled with the voice of shouting except during war.
No, no; this is a call to lift up our hearts and rejoice in the Lord. Christians must not be defeatist whatever troubles and difficulties may attend us.

Why? For us who look back, it is because Christ our King has conquered and ascended up on high. He is seated at the right hand of the Father upholding all things by the word of His power.
For the Old Testament saints, who were looking forward, it would be because Messiah their great King would conquer and would ascend up on high.

2 For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth. 3 He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet. 4 He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved.

This seems to look back to the conquest of Canaan, but notice the future tense. The conquest of Canaan is but a type of the great spiritual war that our Lord fought and is fighting for us.
There is a war of ages in progress. Everything in this world including all its pains and suffering, great or small are battles in this war. The enemies are sin and Satan and everything that seeks to rob us of peace and joy in the Lord.

So all family quarrels and church quarrels, all relationship break-ups, all deaths and illnesses, all job-losses and indeed all things that bring a sigh and a tear to our eyes, are all part of the war of ages.

But we thank God that Christ has conquered. He is risen. He is ascended. He will return. The Old Testament saints saw it with eyes of faith and hope. We see it partly in history and partly with eyes of hope.

Our Lord will see to it that however powerful the enemies of our souls are, they will be trampled under our feet. “The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly” (Rom 16:20) says the apostle Paul. Christ has conquered. He conquered on the cross and His victory is sealed with His resurrection and ascension. The victory is secure. The serpent’s head is crushed and will be crushed. He is in his dying throes seeking to sweep as many into damnation with him as possible, which is the reason why there is still no perfect peace as yet, and why Christians must put on the spiritual armour and fight. We must fight till the serpent is stilled, and we have, as it were, “fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ” (Col 1:24). For our crushing of Satan’s head, is one with the Lord’s crushing of his head, for we are one with Him.

So fear not, beloved brethren and children, whatever trials may come your way. They are part of the war of ages which Christ has conquered.

They are there that we may learn little by little, more and more to trust in Him who is our King.

But consider now…

3. The Second Call to Praise

6 Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.

The word translated ‘sing praise’ may also be translated ‘sing psalms’ as in Psalm 105:2.
“Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms” says James (Jas 5:13).

Singing psalms is one of the best ways of expressing joy. Singing psalms is also one of the best ways of boosting our confidence in the Lord.

Four times we are exhorted to sing psalms in praise unto our God and king.

When are we to sing psalms? We are to do so when we are filled with joy. But not only so, for the reason that is given for us to sing is an unchanging reason:

7 For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding. 8 God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness. 9 The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly exalted.

Why should we sing? How can we sing with understanding unless we know why we should sing?
We should sing, v. 8, because “God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness.” We should sing because our God is the sovereign King of all the earth. He is in absolute control over everything in the universe including the heathen.

But to what purpose does He rule the earth? He rules the earth for the sake of His people,—even the people of the God of Abraham. He rules that they might be gathered together as the trophies of His redeeming grace.

He rules that one day it may be declared:

“The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever” (Rv 11:15).

Conclusion
Beloved brethren and children, every Christian ought to be joyful through all the trials and turmoil of this life.

The reason we are not is because we have a tendency to look at the wind and the waves surrounding us. If only we would think more and meditate more on the great things in this Psalm, we shall be shall be able to stay our minds upon Jehovah and remain joyful in whatever situation that the Lord brings us through.

Let us, therefore, sing this Psalm to remind ourselves. Let us sing it with understanding. Let us sing it to exhort one another. Amen.

— Pastor JJ Lim, Pilgrim Covenant Church, Singapore

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A Mighty Fortress in the Storm

(A brief study of Psalm 46, adapted from my church's Prayer Meeting Exhortation on 29 Feb 2008)

Psalm 46 is a very well-known and comforting Psalm. It is well-known that Martin Luther would sing it when he felt discouraged or sore-tried in his fight against Rome. We read that there were moments when Luther would feel something akin to despair, and he would ask with the Psalmist: “Why art thou cast down, O my soul?” In such hours, he would say to Melanchthon, “Come, Philip, let us sing the 46th Psalm” and the two friends would sing it together using Luther’s famous paraphrase of it.

But this Psalm is not only a comfort in times of ecclesiastical or political conflict. It is of great comfort whenever we are facing an uncertain tomorrow or anticipate a severe trial.

Every Christian may sing this Psalm, for this Psalm is given by our Lord, that we may sing with Him. He speaks of Himself apart from us, but once in verse 10 where He says, “I am God.” But everywhere else, He puts Himself as one amongst us that we may sing with Him as ‘we’ and ‘us’.

How does this Psalm comfort us in times of severe trial? It comforts us by encouraging us first of all to…

1. Fear Not

We need fear not because God is our strength and very present help in trouble.

1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

We all go through different kinds of trials. It could be wars or quarrels. It could be church splits or severe disagreements. It could be natural disasters or political turmoil. It could even be personal struggles—conflict in the soul or the prospect of an impending trial.

Whatever it is, it can be very fearful to think about what will happen next. Indeed, very often we will think of the worst scenario, and we can get unduly worried.

Well, the Psalmist does not comfort us by saying that it will not be as bad as we think. The fact is that we don’t know what will happen tomorrow, and what happens may indeed be as bad if not worse than what we anticipate it to be. It is foolish, therefore, to comfort ourselves by saying, “Peace, peace; when there is no peace” (Jer 6:14).

What then shall we do? Well, in a certain sense, the Psalmist teaches us not to imagine the best scenario, but to imagine the worst. What else would we mean when we sing:

…though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.

How else could we imagine a worse scenario—than the earth being knocked out of orbit, the mountains blown off and cast into the sea, and where there are gigantic tsunamis and earthquakes everywhere? We are speaking metaphorically, of course. But is it not true that sometimes when terrible things happen to us, we feel our whole life crashing around us and everything in turmoil?

But what shall we do if the worst should indeed happen? Well, the Lord by His spirit would remind us that we need not fear. We need not fear because we have God as our refuge and our strength. When everything crumbles around us, when the whole world crumbles beneath our feet, we would still have somewhere to hide, and someone who will give us strength.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

God who loves us will always be there for us to hide us, to strengthen us and to help us no matter how bad things may turn out for us.

Therefore, we need not fear. Rather let us learn to run to Him, to hide in Him and to find strength in Him. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

But not only should we not fear, we also need …

2. Move Not

4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early. 6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. 7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

What is it to be moved? It is to be shaken. It is to despair and to give up. It is to allow Satan to have victory. When a kingdom is moved as in verse 6, the kingdom is destroyed or displaced, and the people are scattered and brought to despair of ever returning to their home land.

If the church is moved, she is shaken from her moorings of truth. She begins to doubt the purpose of her existence. Her members begin to scatter. Her leaders are too discouraged to do anything.

If a Christian is moved, he is in despair. He loses confidence not only in himself, but in God. He doubts God, and he is tempted to forget about living a righteous and holy life. Indeed, he is tempted to leave the faith altogether.

But we need not be moved. We need not be moved because the Lord is in us (v 5) and with us (v. 7). He will help us. He will help us early when we are in need of help (v. 6).

How is the Lord in us and with us?

Verse 4 gives us a clue.
4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

What is this river? It has been suggested that it could represent God the Father (Jer 2:13); and God the Son (Zec 13:1). But it appears to me that this river is very likely a reference to the Holy Spirit and the blessing that He brings to His people. The Lord Jesus was referring to the Holy Spirit when He says:
“He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” (Jn 7:38).

One of the verses that the Lord is referring to, I believe, is Zechariah 14:8, which reads—
“And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem…” (Zec 14:8a).

God is with us and in us by His Spirit. For this reason, we shall not be moved. For He will never leave us nor forsake us; and as the apostle John puts it, we have and will overcome because greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world (1 Jn 4:4).

The believer in whom the Spirit dwells will not be moved, therefore the church which comprises of believers in whom the Spirit dwells will not be moved.

Let us therefore pray for the Spirit as the Lord teaches us to:

“If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” (Lk 11:13).

If we want to remain steadfast in the midst of adversity, let us learn to pray for the Spirit and rely upon the Spirit.

But finally, in the midst of adversity, let us learn to…

3. Fret Not

8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. 9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire. 10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

“Be still, and know that I am God.” What is the meaning of being still? It is not to sit there and be inactive. It is essentially to fret not, not to allow emotional turmoil to overwhelm us.

But why are we to be still and to fret not? The reason is very simple, namely that the Lord, He is God. “Be still, and know that I am God.” Who is this ‘I’? This I is He who identifies Himself with us when we sing ‘us’ and ‘we’, but He is also God. Who is this ‘I’, but Christ Himself.

The writer of Hebrews tells us:

“2 [God] Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb 1:1-3).

Christ has been appointed the heir of all things and by the Word of His sovereign power is bringing all things to pass.

The natural disasters in the earth, the wars and the peace in the world do not come by chance. They are ordained by the Lord, and brought to pass by His sovereign power. They are all the works of the Lord, verses 8 and 9.

Why does He bring all things to pass? He brings all things to pass for His own glory (v. 10), and for our sakes, which is the reason we can confess, “The LORD of hosts is with us” (v. 11).

Therefore, in the midst of turmoil in our soul and in our lives, let us learn to be still and know that He is God. Let us cease to fret, let us cease from frantic activity. Let us be still and let God be God, to taste and see that He is good; and He will see to it that His name will be exalted and good may come out of the turmoil.

Conclusion

Beloved brethren and children, do you have occasion to be tempted to despair? Are you going through a particular trial at the moment?

Fear not, for God is our strength and very present help in trouble. He will never leave us nor forsake us. He does not stand by to watch. He is ever present to help us moment by moment, so that help is but a prayer away.

Move not, for God is in us and with us by His Spirit. We are not powerless for He who dwells in us not only comforts us with a sense of our Father’s love, but gives us the strength that we need, to cling on to the promises of our Lord.

Fret not, but be still and know that He who is God and our Sovereign LORD is also our compassionate Great High Priest, who was tempted at all points like as we are and yet without sin. He has been through a trial far more intense than any of us will ever experience. He understands and He cares. He is interceding for you. He will see to it that your trial will work out for your good and redound to our Father’s glory.

Amen.

—JJ Lim
Pastor of Pilgrim Covenant Church (PCC)

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Out of the depths - Psalm 130

Psalm 130
Scottish Metrical Psalm

1  Lord, from the depths to thee I cried.
2     My voice, Lord, do thou hear:
Unto my supplication's voice
give an attentive ear.

3  Lord, who shall stand, if thou, O Lord,
should'st mark iniquity?
4  But yet with thee forgiveness is,
that feared thou mayest be.

5  I wait for God, my soul doth wait,
my hope is in his word.
6  More than they that for morning watch,
my soul waits for the Lord;

I say, more than they that do watch
the morning light to see.
7  Let Israel hope in the Lord,
for with him mercies be;

And plenteous redemption
is ever found with him.
8  And from all his iniquities
he Isr'el shall redeem.

P S A L M S 130
(taken from Commentary on the Whole Bible by Matthew Henry)

This psalm relates not to any temporal concern, either personal or public, but it is wholly taken up with the affairs of the soul. It is reckoned one of the seven penitential psalms, which have sometimes been made use of by penitents, upon their admission into the church; and, in singing it, we are all concerned to apply it to ourselves. The psalmist here expresses, I. His desire towards God, ver. 1, 2. II. His repentance before God, ver. 3, 4. III. His attendance upon God, ver. 5, 6. IV. His expectations from God, ver. 7, 8. And, as in water face answers to face, so does the heart of one humble penitent to another.
God's Regard to His Church.

A song of degrees.

1 Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord. 2 Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. 3 If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.

In these verses we are taught,

I. Whatever condition we are in, though ever so deplorable, to continue calling upon God, v. 1. The best men may sometimes be in the depths, in great trouble and affliction, and utterly at a loss what to do, in the depths of distress and almost in the depths of despair, the spirit low and dark, sinking and drooping, cast down and disquieted. But, in the greatest depths, it is our privilege that we may cry unto God and be heard. A prayer may reach the heights of heaven, though not out of the depths of hell, yet out of the depths of the greatest trouble we can be in in this world, Jeremiah's out of the dungeon, Daniel's out of the den, and Jonah's out of the fish's belly. It is our duty and interest to cry unto God, for that is the likeliest way both to prevent our sinking lower and to recover us out of the horrible pit and miry clay, Ps. xl. 1, 2.

II. While we continue calling upon God to assure ourselves of an answer of peace from him; for this is that which David in faith prays for (v. 2): Lord, hear my voice, my complaint and prayer, and let thy ears be attentive to the voice both of my afflictions and of my supplications.

III. We are taught to humble ourselves before the justice of God as guilty in his sight, and unable to answer him for one of a thousand of our offences (v. 3): If thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord! who shall stand? His calling God Lord twice, in so few words, Jah and Adonai, is very emphatic, and intimates a very awful sense of God's glorious majesty and a dread of his wrath. Let us learn here, 1. To acknowledge our iniquities, that we cannot justify ourselves before God, or plead Not guilty. There is that which is remarkable in our iniquities and is liable to be animadverted upon. 2. To own the power and justice of God, which are such that, if he were extreme to mark what we do amiss, there would be no hopes of coming off. His eye can discover enough in the best man to ground a condemnation upon; and, if he proceed against us, we have no way to help ourselves, we cannot stand, but shall certainly be cast. If God deal with us in strict justice, we are undone; if he make remarks upon our iniquities, he will find them to be many and great, greatly aggravated and very provoking; and then, if he should proceed accordingly, he would shut us out from all hope of his favour and shut us up under his wrath; and what could we do to help ourselves? We could not make our escape, nor resist not bear up under his avenging hand. 3. Let us admire God's patience and forbearance; we should be undone if he were to mark iniquities, and he knows it, and therefore bears with us. It is of his mercy that we are not consumed by his wrath.

IV. We are taught to cast ourselves upon the pardoning mercy of God, and to comfort ourselves with that when we see ourselves obnoxious to his justice, v. 4. Here is, 1. God's grace discovered, and pleaded with him, by a penitent sinner: But there is forgiveness with thee. It is our unspeakable comfort, in all our approaches to God, that there is forgiveness with him, for that is what we need. He has put himself into a capacity to pardon sin; he has declared himself gracious and merciful, and ready to forgive, Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. He has promised to forgive the sins of those that do repent. Never any that dealt with him found him implacable, but easy to be entreated, and swift to show mercy. With us there is iniquity, and therefore it is well for us that with him there is forgiveness. There is a propitiation with thee, so some read it. Jesus Christ is the great propitiation, the ransom which God has found; he is ever with him, as advocate for us, and through him we hope to obtain forgiveness. 2. Our duty designed in that discovery, and inferred from it: "There is forgiveness with thee, not that thou mayest be made bold with and presumed upon, but that thou mayest be feared—in general, that thou mayest be worshipped and served by the children of men, who, being sinners, could have no dealings with God, if he were not a Master that could pass by a great many faults." But this encourages us to come into his service that we shall not be turned off for every misdemeanour; no, nor for any, if we truly repent. This does in a special manner invite those who have sinned to repent, and return to the fear of God, that he is gracious and merciful, and will receive them upon their repentance, Joel ii. 13; Matt. iii. 2. And, particularly, we are to have a holy awe and reverence of God's pardoning mercy (Hos. iii. 5, They shall fear the Lord, and his goodness); and then we may expect the benefit of the forgiveness that is with God when we make it the object of our holy fear.
Encouragement to Trust in and Depend upon God.

5 I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. 6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. 7 Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. 8 And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

Here, I. The psalmist engages himself to trust in God and to wait for him, v. 5, 6. Observe, 1. His dependence upon God, expressed in a climax, it being a a song of degrees, or ascents: "I wait for the Lord; from him I expect relief and comfort, believing it will come, longing till it does come, but patiently bearing the delay of it, and resolving to look for it from no other hand. My soul doth wait; I wait for him in sincerity, and not in profession only. I am an expectant, and it is for the Lord that my soul waits, for the gifts of his grace and the operations of his power." 2. The ground of that dependence: In his word do I hope. We must hope for that only which he has promised in his word, and not for the creatures of our own fancy and imagination; we must hope for it because he has promised it, and not from any opinion of our own merit. 3. The degree of that dependence—"more than those that watch for the morning, who are, (1.) Well-assured that the morning will come; and so am I that God will return in mercy to me, according to his promise; for God's covenant is more firm than the ordinances of day and night, for they shall come to an end, but that is everlasting." (2.) Very desirous that it would come. Sentinels that keep guard upon the walls, those that watch with sick people, and travellers that are abroad upon their journey, long before day wish to see the dawning of the day; but more earnestly does this good man long for the tokens of God's favour and the visits of his grace, and more readily will he be aware of his first appearances than they are of day. Dr. Hammond reads it thus, My soul hastens to the Lord, from the guards in the morning, the guards in the morning, and gives this sense of it, "To thee I daily betake myself, early in the morning, addressing my prayers, and my very soul, before thee, at the time that the priests offer their morning sacrifice."

II. He encourages all the people of God in like manner to depend upon him and trust in him: Let Israel hope in the Lord and wait for him; not only the body of the people, but every good man, who surnames himself by the name of Israel, Isa. xliv. 5. Let all that devote themselves to God cheerfully stay themselves upon him (v. 7, 8), for two reasons:—1. Because the light of nature discovers to us that there is mercy with him, that the God of Israel is a merciful God and the Father of mercies. Mercy is with him; not only inherent in his nature, but it is his delight, it is his darling attribute; it is with him in all his works, in all his counsels. 2. Because the light of the gospel discovers to us that there is redemption with him, contrived by him, and to be wrought out in the fulness of time; it was in the beginning hidden in God. See here, (1.) The nature of this redemption; it is redemption from sin, from all sin, and therefore can be no other than that eternal redemption which Jesus Christ became the author of; for it is he that saves his people from their sins (Matt. i. 21), that redeems them from all iniquity (Tit. ii. 14), and turns away ungodliness from Jacob, Rom. xi. 26. It is he that redeems us both from the condemning and from the commanding power of sin. (2.) The riches of this redemption; it is plenteous redemption; there is an all-sufficient fulness of merit and grace in the Redeemer, enough for all, enough for each; enough for me, says the believer. Redemption from sin includes redemption from all other evils, and therefore is a plenteous redemption. (3.) The persons to whom the benefits of this redemption belong: He shall redeem Israel, Israel according to the spirit, all those who are in covenant with God, as Israel was, and who are Israelites indeed, in whom is no guile.

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Psalm 42 - The Righteous One in His Weariness, Looking Up

(A brief study of Psalm 42, adapted from my church's Prayer Meeting Exhortation on 13 Apr 2007)

Psalm 42 was no doubt written by David under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit at a time when he was facing severe discouragement and perhaps depression.

Commentators believe that David was at this time fleeing from his son Absalom and wandering in the wilderness beyond Jordan (cf. v. 5, 2 Sam 15-18).

It is as such a psalm that is particularly comforting and instructive for those who are suffering spiritual depression or discouragement.

One of the things which I learn from this psalm, for example, is to talk to my soul when I am depressed.

David does that in verse 5—

⁵ Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

Notice that I said: “Talk to my soul,” not “talk with my soul.” When you are depressed, you must not talk with your soul. If you do that you will spiral further into depression. You must rather talk to your soul. David, under inspiration, shows us how. Ask your soul why you are cast down. No, no; don’t wait for an answer. That would be to talk with your soul. When you ask your soul why he is cast down, you must ask in a way that suggests that he has no good reason to be cast down! Then exhort your soul to hope in God, to believe Him that help is nigh and He will soon lift up His countenance upon you.

Depression and discouragement is something that is very real in the lives of Christians. In fact, it is part of fallen human nature to experience depression and discouragement. Yes, when we are perfected in glory we shall no more experience depression and discouragement, but while we live in this fallen world, we will experience it.

Is it sin to feel depressed or discouraged, someone asked? Well, I do not think so. A failure to trust in God is sin. But it is possible to feel depressed and discouraged while still trusting in God. To trust in God is an act of the will on the basis of knowledge. Depression and discouragement have to do with emotions or feelings.

This is the reason why the psalmist could talk to his soul to hope in God. He does hope in God, but the circumstance that he is in plays on his emotions so that he feels discouraged and depressed.

It is all very confusing, but I am sure you know what I mean if you have experienced it yourself.

It is important for us to understand that it is no sin to be depressed or discouraged. One of the worst thing to do to a depressed or discouraged believer is to admonish him for his sin,—whether of feeling depressed or of something that you perceive may be leading to the depression. It will exacerbate his feelings of guilt. He may not be guilty, but if you admonish him, he will certainly feel a terrible sense of guilt. There is, of course, a place for loving admonishment, but it must be done with gentleness and at the right time.

And so beloved brothers and sisters, if you are feeling discouraged or depressed, I will encourage you with the knowledge that you are not alone and the LORD has not forsaken you.

You are amongst the many, many godly believers who have at one point experienced discouragement and depression. I think of Moses, David, Elijah and Jeremiah. I think of Luther, Edwards, Brainerd, Timothy Rogers, Spurgeon, Lloyd-Jones, etc. Yea, I think of the Lord Himself.

Indeed, I believe that this Psalm is not only about David. David wrote in the Spirit of Christ so that what is recorded in this Psalm provides us with a glimpse of the Lord’s thoughts and emotions during His incarnation. I believe Andrew Bonar is right in calling this psalm: “The Righteous One in his weariness looking up to the Father for refreshment.”

This psalm has two stanzas or strophes, each ending with the refrain, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul &c” (v. 5 and 11). It is believed that Psalm 43 is actually the 3^rd stanza of this psalm because it ends with the same refrain.

If this is so, then this is a three-part psalm, the first part, vv. 1-5 contains an outpouring of the heart in regard to its longing and discouragements; the second part vv. 6-11 contains an outpouring of the heart in regard to the sorrow and confusion that it is experiencing. Psalm 43, on the other hand, contains an outpouring of the heart’s desire unto the Lord to send forth His light to dispel the darkness of the soul.

This evening, the Lord helping us, we shall only be able to consider briefly, Psalm 42.

1. An Outpouring of Longing
& Exasperation

¹ As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. ² My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

A hart is a deer. Think of a deer being hunted and running for his life. He is thirsty. He needs a drink badly, but there is no water to be found. He longs for water to quench his thirst.

David was being pursued by his son Absalom. But what was his longing? Not simply safety! His longing was God, of a sense of God’s favourable presence.

Our Lord, especially, experienced the same longing as He was arrested and driven to the cross.

It was the Passover season when our Lord was arrested. It should have been a time of joyous religious observance and celebrations. But our Lord was bound, and deprived of freedom to appear before the Father with the people.

And moreover, He was bearing the sin of His people so that the shadow of God’s wrath casting darkness over His soul was lengthening by the minute.

Our Lord was feeling depressed and discouraged.

³ My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?

Over and over again, the Lord was ridiculed: “If thou be the Son of God” save thyself, come down from the cross (Mt 27:40). “He saved others; himself he cannot save” (Mk 15:31). “He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. ” (Ps 22:8).

“Where is thy God?” they taunted. Tears could not wash away the exasperation of hearing God’s name blasphemed and not being able to defend it.

Our Lord longed for the vindication of God’s name, and He longed to be able to worship the Father with the people who fear and love Him.

This feeling of longing and exasperation was intensified each time He recalled the joy of joyful praise and worship with the multitude—such as during His triumphal entry when a multitude welcomed Him into Jerusalem singing “Hosanna to the Son of David.”

⁴ When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.

That is to say: My heart overflows with emotion each time I recall the joy of worship with God’s faithful people.

Beloved brethren and children, have you ever felt this way? Perhaps you were prevented from joining God’s people in worship due to illness or circumstance. Perhaps you are feeling very low and have lost the joy of worship. Tell your soul that the Lord felt the same longing and exasperation.

And talk to your soul as our Lord would have done, verse 5—

⁵ Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

The child of God does not need to be down cast. Our hearts can be at peace. Emotions will arise rather inexplicably to cause us to feel discouraged and depressed. Often we cannot help when sad feelings overwhelm us. But we can help our soul by talking to our soul and exhorting ourselves to continue to hope in God and to looking forward to the day when we shall yet worship the Lord joyfully with the multitude who keep holy day.

2. An Outpouring of Sorrow
& Confusion

⁶ O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar. ⁷ Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.

David was deep in the woods hiding at the base of a waterfall in the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites from the hill Mizar. As he heard the roaring noise of the water cascading down the face of the rock, and see wave after wave of water and the billows or breakers rushing down the brook, he found expression for the pain that he was feeling.

His heart was full of confusion. There was a roaring in his soul. And wave after wave of sorrow was sweeping over his soul.

Our Lord felt the same way as He headed to the cross and as He hung on the cross. He was a man of sorrow. He was exasperated.

But He never lost sight of His Father. Not once! He knew that behind the dark cloud is a loving Father.

⁸ Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. ⁹ I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

Our Lord knew the answer to His question, of course. He came to do His Father’s will. He came to be our sin-bearer. This is why He must go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy. It must be so. In the volume of the book it is written of Him that it must be so. The shepherd must be smitten that the Father’s hand of blessing may be turned upon the lambs.

But sad feelings are inexplicable. And it is aggravated by what others say, however untrue it may be—

¹⁰ As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?

Anyone who has felt depressed or discouraged would have experienced this. Here we are dealing with sorrow and discouragement, and there they are stabbing us with sharp words, thrusting their sword of cutting words into our ribs and twisting it.

I remember the experience many times. Many times for me it has to do with preaching. I struggle to be clear and faithful, and get discouraged because I see very little result. Then comes someone who has an axe to grind. What does he tell me: “I have never benefited from a single of your sermons,” he or she says. “I was just tolerating all these time!”

Oh how that felt like a stab and a twist in the heart.

Our Lord felt the same. But for Him it was always the taunting question: “Where is thy God?” that did it.

The reason is obvious. He is the eternal Son of God, only begotten and beloved of the Father. But because He was bearing our sin, His sense of the Father’s favour was fading by the hour as He approached the hours of darkness.

It had to be so because our Lord must experience the full brunt of the Father’s wrath for our sin. He must come to the point where He would have to endure the full wrath of God against our sin. He must taste hell on our behalf. Hell is not the absence of God. Hell is hell because God is there in His perfect wrath.

Our Lord would have to endure the darkness of the Father’s countenance during those three hours of darkness when even the sun refused to shine.

During the three hours, the words of His tormentors, “Where is thy God?” no doubt played itself over and over again in His soul, threatening to drive Him to despair—so that despite His faith in His Father, the feelings of being forsaken grew more and more intense.

It is no wonder that at the end of the three hours, our Lord cried out: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

Now, we must make no mistake. Our Lord was not just feeling that the Father had forsaken Him. The wrath of God that He experienced was real, just as the pains of hell will be real for all who remain unrepentant.

But our Lord knew and believed that the Father would receive Him back again once the sacrifice is complete. Never did our Lord doubt His Father. Doubt is sin. Our Lord had no sin. He never doubted.

But equally real was our Lord’s feeling of sorrow and confusion. It was to give expressions to these feelings that our Lord must have meditated and would have us sing these words.

And it is to address these feelings of sorrow that our Lord asks again:

¹¹ Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

There is no reason to be cast down. I must hope in God, for it is a fact that I will yet praise the Lord. It is a fact that I will again experience the nourishing grace of the Father’s love.

The Father will never leave me nor forsake me. He is a faithful God who will keep His promises.

Conclusion

What is this psalm to you, dearly beloved brothers and sisters and children in the Lord Jesus Christ?

This psalm has been a tremendous encouragement to me. It is so, firstly, because this psalm assures me that our Lord felt and therefore understands the depressing and discouraging feelings that I am sometimes overwhelmed with.

It is so, secondly, because I find the way that the Lord dealt with the feelings of discouragement most helpful. Brethren, the next time you feel discouraged or depressed remember to talk to your soul as our Lord did.

But finally, this psalm is tremendously encouraging to me because when I sing it, I am again brought to a wholehearted realisation of how much my Lord went through for me and therefore how much He loves me. Amen. —JJ Lim

(published in my church's bulletin on 30th March 2008, reproduced here with permission)

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• Free Planner 2010

Other Free Christian Bookmarks Templates:

• A Special Birthday Prayer for You
• Chinese Bible verses
• All things for good
• Calling upon God / Prayer
• God is our refuge and strength
• Grace
• I can do all things
• Prayers
• When there seems no way out, let God in
• You are never alone

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• A Special Birthday Prayer for You
• Christian cards with Bible verses
• God holds my tomorrow
• Whatever our need
• With God all things are possible
• Your Friendship is a Blessing

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God our dwelling place

Yesterday, I wrote to several precious friends in my life, as I reflected on God's goodness in causing our paths to cross in many wonderful ways, and how their friendships have been such a blessing to me.

George Wong, my brother-in-Christ in Brunei, replied with an encouraging note and he shared that the book of prayer of Moses on Psalms 90 is also very helpful to him as he attended the funeral service of a loving brother who went home to be with the Lord recently. Psalms 90:1 began by speaking of the Lord being our dwelling place in all generations.

This morning, as part of my personal devotion, I read the encouraging writings of CH Spurgeon in his Morning and Evening on Psalm 91:9 and he also mentioned something about Psalms 90:1! Spurgeon also wrote about God who is our refuge being our dwelling place and habitation. Though we live in an ever changing world, there is no change with regards to God and His love for His people. He is our strong habitation whereunto we can continually resort. We are a pilgrim in the world, but at home in our God. In the earth we wander, but in God we dwell in a quiet habitation.

“Thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation.” - Psalm 91:9

The Israelites in the wilderness were continually exposed to change. Whenever the pillar stayed its motion, the tents were pitched; but tomorrow, ere the morning sun had risen, the trumpet sounded, the ark was in motion, and the fiery, cloudy pillar was leading the way through the narrow defiles of the mountain, up the hill side, or along the arid waste of the wilderness. They had scarcely time to rest a little before they heard the sound of “Away! this is not your rest; you must still be onward journeying towards Canaan!” They were never long in one place. Even wells and palm trees could not detain them. Yet they had an abiding home in their God, his cloudy pillar was their roof-tree, and its flame by night their household fire. They must go onward from place to place, continually changing, never having time to settle, and to say, “Now we are secure; in this place we shall dwell.” “Yet,” says Moses, “though we are always changing, Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place throughout all generations.” The Christian knows no change with regard to God. He may be rich to-day and poor to-morrow; he may be sickly to-day and well to-morrow; he may be in happiness to-day, to-morrow he may be distressed-but there is no change with regard to his relationship to God. If he loved me yesterday, he loves me to-day. My unmoving mansion of rest is my blessed Lord. Let prospects be blighted; let hopes be blasted; let joy be withered; let mildews destroy everything; I have lost nothing of what I have in God. He is “my strong habitation whereunto I can continually resort.” I am a pilgrim in the world, but at home in my God. In the earth I wander, but in God I dwell in a quiet habitation.
(CH Spurgeon's Morning and Evening, February 27, Morning)

My brother, Arthur, who is in New Zealand, took this photo at Muriwai Beach, West Auckland, New Zealand.

Psalms 90
1 Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
3 Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.
4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.
5 Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.
6 In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.
7 For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.
8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
9 For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.
10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
13 Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.
14 O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil.
16 Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children.
17 And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

Some other lovely photos my brother, Arthur, took at Muriwai Beach, West Auckland, New Zealand

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