My grandparents instilled in me a love for the old war movies.
One that I’ve returned to often is The Dambusters. It tells the amazing story of how an eccentric inventor, Barnes Wallis, developed a bomb for brave RAF pilots to use to destroy Nazi dams and cripple their heavy industry.
The depiction of the raid inspired the Death Star trench run in Star Wars: A New Hope.
The movie producers wanted an iconic piece of music to help make it memorable. They had the goal of encouraging patriotism and to immortalize the heroic achievement the movie would recount.
They commissioned Eric Coates and the piece of music he submitted has become as famous or maybe even more famous than the movie itself.
Later, Richard Bewes, who just died in May of 2019, wrote these words to accompany the music.
God is our strength and refuge,
our present help in trouble,
and we therefore will not fear,
though the earth should change!
Though mountains shake and tremble,
though swirling floods are raging,
God the Lord of hosts is with us evermore!There is a flowing river
within God’s holy city;
God is in the midst of her-
she shall not be moved!
God’s help is swiftly given,
thrones vanish at his presence-
God the Lord of hosts is with us evermore!Come, see the works of our maker,
After Psalm 46, Richard Bewes (born 1934)
learn of his deeds all-powerful:
wars will cease across the world
when he shatters the spear!
Be still and know your creator,
uplift him in the nations-
God the Lord of hosts is with us evermore!
© Richard Bewes/Jubilate Hymns
He based his hymn 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.
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.
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.
Psalm 46
With all the trouble around us, it can sometimes be difficult to know how to pray.
Thinking through these things this morning this hymn and then the psalm came to mind.
What a blessing to know that even when we feel powerless and wonder what will come next, to be able to pray to the One who has all the power and all the answers.
Verses 9-10 seem particularly relevant:
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. Be still, and know that I am God
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