Psalm 46:1–7 — God Is Our Refuge and Strength

Why families choose it

For deaths that shook the ground — sudden, out of order, or in the middle of public trouble. The psalm does not pretend the earth is steady; it lets mountains fall into the sea and says ‘therefore will not we fear’ anyway. Its comfort is not calm circumstances but a refuge inside them, ‘a very present help’. Luther paraphrased it into ‘A Mighty Fortress’; congregations who know the hymn will hear it underneath.

Reading it aloud

Start firm and level — the first sentence is the whole reading in miniature, and it should sound like a wall, not a sigh. Take the upheaval verses at a steady pace; the point is that the voice does not speed up while the earth gives way. ‘Selah’ is a rest, not a word to say aloud: let it stand as silence. Close on ‘the God of Jacob is our refuge’ as plain fact.

In the programme, list it in the order of service as “Scripture Reading — Psalm 46:1–7” with the reader’s name beside it. The full text is public domain and may be printed on the life-story or back page.