Finding Calm in Turbulent Waters

“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. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.

Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.

He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’ The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” (Psalm 46 NIV)

I don’t know about you, but the last few days—okay, I’ll be honest and say, for me, the last 18 months—have been full of political and, thus, social media turmoil.  From the headlines, the opinion pieces, the social media posts, and some face-to-face discussions, it just has become so burdensome and draining.  And there is no indication that it is going to get better anytime soon.  

It is the nature of this fallen world to get sucked into the tumult of life, and, so, become overwhelmed by it.  We can feel as if we are drowning, the current pulling us under, and our lungs starving for air.  The source can be personal, political, or both.  I don’t know the particular circumstances of the Psalmist as he wrote these words, but I think we can all take comfort and courage from them.

From the beginning, like a sailor searching for a fixed point by which to navigate, he focuses in on this truth: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” It is to Him we turn and to Him we cling. By doing so, we find our course and are no longer adrift and at the mercy of turbulent waters.  

And he paints a picture of calmness in the midst of chaos—the direct result of a fixed gaze on the One who is solid and unmovable, the very same One on whom our brothers and sisters have looked down through history. (Hebrews 12:1-3)

Today, in the midst of these tumultuous times, if you feel overwhelmed and burdened, let the Psalmist be your guide in finding the peace that passes all understanding. 

© Jim Musser 2017