Chaos.
Children screaming. Sick spouses. Deadlines and and pressure coming in from all sides.
Sound familiar?
We all face the clamor of life from time to time. And sometimes the whole world seems to be crashing in upon us.
If that weren’t enough, we look at the news and see stories of war and natural disasters occurring left and right. And in the midst of it all, God can get lost.
I don’t mean that God loses his way, of course. But like Peter being faced by the crashing waves when he stepped out of the boat, we lose sight of Jesus. And we start to panic. We start to drown.
What is the Psalmist’s solution to this?
Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth. (Psalm 46:10)
In other words, stop for a moment. Be still. Stop looking at the circumstances around you and look at God for a minute.
Instead of looking at how big the problems around you seem, look at how big God is. And when you do, what will you find?
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging. (Psalm 46:1-3)
As we look around us,
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall. (6)
And yet,
The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. (7, 11)
So often, as we focus on our problems, we forget that God is truly in control. That nothing is beyond his power.
He has but to lift his voice, and this world would melt. He has but to say, “enough,” and all war will cease, and all will come to judgment.
So let us be still before God. Quiet our fears. Cease our questions. And see how big our God truly is.
Know that God is within us and we will not fall. That he will help us.
That he has given us the deposit of his Spirit who flows like a river in, through, and out of us, doing his work in our lives and in the world around us.
As we do, he will bring us joy and peace in the midst of any circumstances we may be going through.
Moment to Moment (Bible blog) 