Suggested Reading: Isaiah 46:3-5, Psalm 23
I couldn’t sleep. Like Jeff Gordon at the Indy 500, my mind raced. Instead of sleep, I made mental lists of what I needed to do around the house, for work, for my family, for my son’s school project, and, oh! Were we on budget for the month?
What is it about that pillow that seemingly causes anxiety to find the accelerator, and slam it all the way down to the floor in a New York minute?
Worry.
Trying to calm my thoughts, I began recounting God’s promises and blessings. Suddenly, an unfamiliar noise interrupted my train of thought. I quieted my breathing and listened intently.
What was that? An animal outside? A mouse? What about an intruder?
There it was again.
A door closed, and I heard a faint cry.
Leaping from my bed, I instinctively knew the exact location of that cry, as well to whom it belonged. Within moments, I found my toddler in a little heap on the floor just inside his bedroom door, sobbing. As I scooped him up into a reassuring hug, I asked what was the matter.
“Mommy, (sniff, sniff) I need a drink.”
Without another word, I took him into the bathroom for a small glass of water. He emptied it in no time and relaxed back into my shoulder like a rag doll. His need had been met. His world was secure. And he could rest peacefully ’til morning.
As I slipped back into my bed, I thought about my son. And just as those anxious thoughts began to creep back in, I visualized Jesus coming through the darkness to my aid.
He intimately knows my needs, my fears and my vulnerabilities. He knows what I’m up against each day. The Psalmist reminds me I need not worry because God is with me. Always.
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23: 4
When my toddler needed a drink in the middle of the night, he didn’t worry about where the water would come from. He simply cried out to the one he knew could help him. How much more should I cry out to Jesus for help when life feels overwhelming?
Let’s Pray:
Dear Jesus, you are my good shepherd. Thank you for keeping watch over me when the storms rage. Thank you also for knowing my missteps before they ever occur, and for forgiving me even when I didn’t heed your warning. Help me to seek you first, focusing my eyes on you - not my circumstances. Amen.
For discussion: If you feel comfortable, would you share your story of how God has rescued you from a difficult circumstance or given you peace during a raging storm? Your story may encourage someone else in the midst of a challenging time.
