Calming the Storm

He quiets the raging oceans and all the world’s clamor. PSALM 65:7 TLB 

There will be noisy days. Not in sound, but in our minds. The list of things we need to do, the immediate things clamoring for our attention, the feeling of uncertainty about what’s ahead. Our thought-life can seem like a raging ocean at times. How do we quiet it? How do we create enough calm to hear and know God’s wisdom and direction, and to keep our flesh in check? We trust that if He can quiet a raging ocean and a perilous storm on a lake by speaking to them, His words can also quiet our minds. Relax, take a deep breath, and speak to the mental “storms.” 

Lord, when doubts fill my mind, when my heart is in turmoil, quiet me and give me renewed hope and cheer. PSALM 94:19 TLB 

A calm, cool spirit keeps the peace. PROVERBS 15:18 THE MESSAGE  

God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. II TIMOTHY 1:7 NKJV 

We have the words. We have the choice to use them. And God has the power to back them! Every time the noise of this world tries to drown out the words He’s given us, we have to mentally grab hold of them again—as many times a day as needed and as often as the doubts come. His words are the only thing that can truly quiet our minds. They’re the life preserver that’s always within reach. Even when we break down and our day feels unmanageable, our goals seem unreachable, and life feels unbearably out of control, the right words can give us strength to stand and keep standing. Once we speak truth and remind ourselves again that God can be trusted, we get braver in the face of our storms. They will not overtake us because God cannot fail. And the wind and the waves never forget Who rules them. 

Father, thank You for giving me the words to quiet my mind and keep my spirit calm and confident in You. 

This is an excerpt from The Beach is Calling: 90 Devotions for Rest & Relaxation – a devotional now available on DaySpring.com. Shop all books, journals, and devotions from DaySpring here.