God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! Psalm 46:1-3
While in the hair salon this week, I prayed over a woman who unexpectedly received tragic news about a family member. I didn’t know the woman but recognized her because she lived in my old neighborhood. But as the inconsolable cries continued, the Holy Spirit prompted me to take her hands, encourage her to breathe, and pray. The details surrounding her family member were very complicated, and it was a vivid reminder of God’s sovereignty in our lives and that He is in charge of all the details, no matter how complex. Psalm 46 assures us that God is always with us, no matter how complicated or tragic the circumstances are. The command “Be Still” is just that, a command. It is a physical command as well as a spiritual command. The God of the universe designed our bodies in such a miraculous way that by merely stopping to breathe, it stills our minds and our bodies so our focus can be centered on Him. When our emotions and bodies are racing, our focus is everywhere but on God. Stopping to breathe and be still is vitally important in times of stress, grief, and the struggles of life. In this Psalm, we learn God is with us in the worst of times, and through it all, we are commanded to lay ourselves down, be still (breathe), and know He is God.
This prayer is titled God’s Complete Control, written by Pastor Chuck Swindoll. The prayer emphasizes the importance of acknowledging God’s sovereignty and reminds us that God controls all aspects of our lives and circumstances. Take a moment to be still, breathe, and pray this prayer.
Quiet our hearts, dear Father, and in so doing, remind us that You are sovereign—not almost sovereign but altogether sovereign. Nothing occurs in our lives that has not been masterfully planned and put together by You, our eternal God. As we cast our cares upon You, knowing You care for us, release our stress. We entrust our concerns to You today . . . large and small, new and nagging. We long to experience peace-filled living by stepping off this treadmill called pressurized living. We pray that Your mighty presence would take the place of the stress, the demands, the struggles, the mess we’ve created. We ask that You give us Your shalom —Your peace—like we’ve never known it before. We deliberately choose to trust You and to rest in You. In the name of Jesus. Amen. And that’s your Tuesday Tidbit.
The picture, taken this weekend by Mike Garrett, is of the majestic mountains in my WV hometown.