Living Through Death
Becoming Unshakable: Living as a Son or Daughter in the Fortress of the Almighty
“James!”
“Emily!”
That’s what my four-year-old yells across the house. And every time, Emily and I look at each other and smile. We don’t condone children calling us by our first name, but I think some wisdom applies to you and me. Yes, we’re Mom and Dad—but to Sophia, we’re also James and Emily. Not just authority, but friend. Not just structure, but safety. Not just parents, but partners in adventure.
This morning, her little voice echoed in my heart as I read Psalm 46. The sons of Korah—who wrote this psalm—came from a complicated legacy. Their ancestor, Korah, rebelled against Moses and was swallowed up by the earth (Numbers 16). His name was a stain. But generations later, his sons would be redeemed. From disgrace to devotion, they would write songs that anchored God’s people in truth for thousands of years.
They didn’t just sing about a fortress—God became their fortress.
“God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.”
— Psalm 46:1
By verse 7, we read this name: Yahweh Sabaoth—“The Lord Almighty.” It’s a name of might and majesty, but also of intimacy and mercy. Not only is He the God of angel armies, but also the God of Jacob.
This would’ve hit deep for the original audience—people who had lived through exile, persecution, and pain. Why the God of Jacob? Not Abraham, the father of faith. Not David, the man after God’s heart. But Jacob—the deceiver, the struggler, the runaway.
Jacob’s life was riddled with failure, yet relentlessly pursued by God’s faithfulness. God never gave up on Jacob, and He never gives up on us either.
A Hymn from the Ashes
Fast forward to 1527. The Black Plague strikes Wittenberg, and fear floods the streets. Everyone flees—except for the pioneer of the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther, his family, and a few brave souls. His son nearly dies. He's excommunicated from the Catholic Church, and his life is under constant threat from both disease and political powers.
Against all earthly logic, Luther stays. He tends the sick. He teaches the Word and boldly pens lyrics to a hymn.
“A mighty fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing.”
Luther knew Yahweh Sabaoth and the God of Jacob. And despite living in a life-threatening environment, he courageously concludes:
And take they our life,
Goods, fame, child, and wife,
Though these all be gone,
Our vict’ry has been won;
The Kingdom ours remaineth.
Never Finished Challenge
What about us?
Some of you might be in life-threatening situations. But for many of us? It’s the absence of urgency that’s killing us. We’re clinging to ‘life-giving things’ instead of the Life-Giver Himself.
Let me ask you this:
My daughter Sophia has barely spent a night away from us in her four years of life (Emily and I believe presence is essential, so we take only a few overnight trips this season—just her and me for our marriage). For 360 days a year, Sophia lives under our roof—taught, loved, corrected, and enjoyed.
What about you?
Are you living in the house of God?
Are you being taught by God—daily in His Word, in church, in godly community?
Or are you letting the empty promises of the world do the teaching?Are you receiving His love—responding with gratitude, worship, and truth?
Or are you chasing love in the world before seeking Him?Are you being disciplined—growing more like Christ each day?
Or are you undisciplined, stagnant, or spiritually asleep…dying?Are you enjoying God?
Or are you chasing joy in empty pleasures and man-made purposes?
The answers to these questions shape the name you live under.
Child of God, Live Like It
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”
— 1 John 3:1
Don’t just admire the fortress. Live in it.
Let God’s names become your reality. Let your worship be your weapon. Let your life declare what the sons of Korah, Martin Luther, and generations of saints have shouted:
"The Lord Almighty is with us;
The God of Jacob is our fortress." — Psalm 46:7
What does today say about God?
Yahweh Sabaoth.
God of Jacob.
Yahweh Jireh (Provider).
Yahweh Rapha (Healer).
Yahweh Nissi (Banner).
Yahweh Shalom (Peace).
Yahweh Rohi (Shepherd).
Yahweh Shammah (Present One).
El Elyon. El Shaddai. El Roi. Elohim. Adonai. (Names of God)
Father and Friend.
Nothing—no power in heaven or on earth, not even death—can separate us from Your love.
Thank You, Jesus.