godcares #godsloveforyou #peaceinturmoil #godspresence #trustinturmoil

I:You don’t have to let the noise dictate your peace. You can choose to anchor your heart in what is steady and unchanging — God’s love and presence. 

X:You don’t have to let the noise dictate your peace. You can choose to anchor your heart in what is steady and unchanging — God’s love and presence. P

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?  Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.

(Psalm 42:5 NIV)

“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?  Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God. ” (Psalm 42:5 NIV)

A man was pushing a shopping cart through a busy supermarket, and inside the cart sat a baby boy who was screaming, thrashing, and bouncing with all the energy of a small hurricane. The man kept repeating calm admonitions:  “Don’t yell, Brian. Calm down, Brian. Don’t get excited, Brian.”

A woman standing nearby was clearly impressed and said, “You’re such a good father.  It’s wonderful how you’re talking so calmly to little Brian.”

The man sighed and said, “Lady, I’m Brian!”

For those of you who are parents, this story probably hits home. But even if you’re not, you’ve likely had moments where you’ve needed to give yourself a little pep talk just to stay calm in the midst of life’s chaos. 

Sometimes, we all feel like that man in the grocery aisle — trying to hold it together while everything around us (and inside us) is spinning out of control.  Life gets noisy.  Responsibilities pile up. Worries fill your mind.  And in those moments, it helps to do what Brian did — speak to yourself.

The psalmist understood that. He wrote, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?  Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.” (Psalm 42:5 NIV)

What’s so powerful about that verse is that the psalmist doesn’t ignore his feelings.  He acknowledges the turmoil but he doesn’t let it take over.  Instead, he redirects his soul toward God.

Perhaps today you need to do the same thing. When your thoughts start racing and your heart feels overwhelmed, pause and remind yourself of what’s true:  God hears you.  God is faithful.  God’s care hasn’t stopped just because life feels hard.

You don’t have to let the noise dictate your peace. You can choose to anchor your heart in what is steady and unchanging — God’s love and presence.  Let God calm your heart, and rest in the truth that you are securely held in his arms.

Prayer: Father, help me to calm my heart when life feels overwhelming. Remind me to trust in your care, knowing that you are faithful and near.  Let your peace steady me in the middle of life’s noise.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Alan Smith
Reprinted with permission from Alan Smith’s Thought For the Day