"Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge. For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away. Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail. Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind. As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah. We have thought of thy loving kindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple. According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness. Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments. Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following. For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death." (Psalms 48:1-14)

          God provides a refuge for man in times of troubles. It is not just that God provides a refuge; rather God is our refuge in those hardships. Life alone or unaided, without God, would be something that none of us could handle. In every age man has found a need for a hiding place. Man needs the spiritual resources provided by God in order to cope with life. The psalmist said God is to be praised as our refuge. "Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge. For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together." (Psalms 48:1-4) The refuge is also in God, in His city, in His church, in the person of Jesus; never is the refuge outside!

          In the days of Noah the refuge or hiding place was in the ark. Death was on the outside. (Genesis 6-9) In the days of Israel the refuge was in the houses marked with blood. Death was on the outside. (Exodus 12) In the land of Canaan the hiding place was cities of refuge. Death was on the outside. (Numbers 35) In our day a man is the hiding place. "Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land." (Isaiah 32:1-2) The man who is our hiding place is Jesus. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) Death is on the outside.

          Great is the Lord, our refuge -- Psalm 48:1-8: Our great God and Savior is exalted both as God and as man. The greatness of God prompted praise in Jerusalem. God is great in power, great in holiness, great in His perfect nature, great in His wisdom, great in His unwavering faithfulness and great in His goodness. It was in Jerusalem that the Temple could be found. Therefore, God was greatly to be praised in that city. God deserved and demanded honor and faithfulness. God was to be praised on Mount Zion. This mount was the location of the Temple. God deserves praise because of the beautiful situation or elevation of Mount Zion. The fact that God had a city should have brought joy to the entire earth. Here God protected and preserved His faithful people. Kings realized that they could not fight against God and win; thus fear took hold of them and they fled away. With nature and all other things at His disposal God can so easily control affairs on earth. God would establish His city forever. However God would only bless them if they remained faithful. (Deuteronomy 10:12-13)

          God is our guide until death -- Psalm 48:9-14: The psalmist promised that he and others would serve God faithfully. Appreciation to God leads to such commitment. In God's Temple the people had mediated on God's unfailing love. God's name reaches to the end of the earth. Likewise our praise for Him should cover that same distance. God's people are called upon to rejoice because God's judgment has been done. When justice is done good people are glad! The people were to look upon Jerusalem and see how well protected she was and to tell the next generation what God was doing through that city in sending the Messiah. The psalm concludes with this great statement of faith, "For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to death." (Psalm 48:14) May God also help us to be guided by His word all the days of our life. (Revelation 2:10)