Martin Luther used Psalm 46 to write his victorious hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is our God.” Luther faced numerous trials because of his belief that salvation is by grace through faith alone. It is said that when he grew discouraged, he would say to his friend and co-worker, “…let us sing the forty-sixth Psalm.” Luther wrote, “We sing this Psalm to the praise of God, because God is with us, and powerfully and miraculously preserves and defends His church and His word, against all fanatical spirits, against the gates of hell, against the implacable hatred of the devil, and against all the assaults of the world, the flesh, and sin.”

When David wrote these verses, many of the things he considered secure in his life were crumbling around him. He was pursued by an enemy and forced to flee from his home. He was separated from loved ones. He was separated from the temple and, therefore, from corporate worship of God. He faced desperate times of danger and uncertainty. He, who had bravely fought lions as a shepherd and defeated a giant as a young man, was now too familiar with fear as a companion.