Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”
Well, it finally got to me. The craziness of the world right now. The storm surging around us. My heart felt so weary and burdened from all the pain and loss. So many loved ones and friends are hurting and grieving. Just all of it. I’m sure I am not the only one.
I took my eyes off Jesus and was looking at the storm. Friend, I started sinking. To be honest, I didn’t even realize that this was happening. It happened so slowly until I found myself at the end of a road that wasn’t where I wanted to be. I had chosen to consume the wrong things to “keep up” with what was going on. While I think it’s definitely important to know what is going on so I can be involved, it was mostly what I was thinking about.
It’s what was consuming my thoughts. The more I focused on it, the more fearful I became. The problems out there became bigger and bigger to me and my faith was taking a hit. The fear kicked me in the shin and stole my lunch money. Once I realized what was happening, I cried out to the Lord.
I heard him whisper to my heart:
“Remember who I am”
So, I stopped and started thinking about who He was. What His names are. I started to list them:
- King
- Good
- Friend
- Healer
- Emmanuel
- Provider
- Love
- Rock
- Faithful
- Anchor
- Peace
- Hope
- Merciful
- Waymaker
- Spirit
- Just
- Covenant Keeper
- Shield
- Refuge
- Trustworthy
- Good Shepherd
- Deliverer
I started being so encouraged and it was like water to my parched soul. How amazing that this is the God that we get to serve! I was so overwhelmed and looking at all the bad things, I had forgotten how big my God was. I was beholding the wrong things.
I felt very much like Peter when He was walking on the water with Jesus. I looked at the wind and was afraid.
Matthew 14:29-31 NIV “ ‘Come,’ he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. ‘You of little faith,’ he said, ‘why did you doubt?’ ”
When Peter took his eyes off Jesus he began to sink. He let the fear of the wind shake his faith. My goodness, I can relate to this sometimes.
So what can we do when there is a storm around us? When everything is being shaken? How do we navigate this season without being tossed to and fro? The answer is fixing our eyes on Jesus and trusting him. But what are practical ways to do that? What does the word say about that? Here are 6 easy things that you can start doing today.
1. Worship
Psalm 95:1-6 NIV “Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.
For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;”
When we magnify the Lord, it gets our eyes off of how big our problems are. He is infinitely bigger! Worship gives God all the praise and honor he deserves, and also realigns our hearts. He alone is the King of Kings. His name is above every other name! His name is above every disease, problem, and situation that we may be facing.
2. Give Thanks
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Chronicles 16:34 NIV “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”
We are called to give thanks and rejoice in ALL circumstances. Even the hard ones. There is always something to be grateful for. Sometimes you have to look really hard, but there is always something! If you struggle finding things to be grateful for, ask the Lord to help show you.
3. Read The Word
Romans 10:17 NIV “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”
John 1:14 NIV “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Matthew 4:4 NIV “Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”
This is what we need to consume. The truth. Jesus is the word made flesh. We need to feast on the word and build our faith. When we consume the wrong things, it will produce things like fear or doubt. If we consume the right things, it will build our faith and more.
4. Pray
James 5:13 NLT “Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.”
Talk to him. He really wants to listen. The bible says that when you draw near to him, he draws near to you. He is your Dad. You can be totally honest about what you are facing. You can share how you are feeling. You can ask for what you need. He is full of unfailing love and mercy. He is a good Father and loves to guide and help us.💕
5. Remember Who He Is
6. Remember What He’s Done
Psalm 103:1-5 NLT “Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.
He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!”
Psalm 77:11 NIV “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.”
For me, Jesus has completely healed me of Cancer. He set me free that day. I will tell that story soon. He has always been there with me. He’s never left me. He has been my provider. I have never gone a day without food or a roof over my head. I have always had more than enough. He is restoring my family. He has given us amazing communities and friends. He is my best friend. He died for me and I am so grateful.
What has the Lord done in your life? What amazing testimony do you have? I would LOVE to hear about it! Please leave a comment telling everyone about what He has done for you. Testimonies help boost our faith and encourage us, and we would love to hear yours!
