Daily Devotional “Stop the Inner Churning”
Be different!
October 19, 2022
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
We knew there would be traffic. After all, this was LA. But who would have imagined this much traffic, inching along like a sleepy glacier?
The extra time cushion we had given ourselves to get to my important crosstown appointment melted away.
With ten minutes to go, we were stuck on the highway more than ten miles out…which might as well have been one hundred miles. As the minutes ticked by I felt tension, frustration, and yes, I was becoming angry.
It was with an effort that I remembered God himself was in control of that morning traffic, and if he had me in that situation, it was for his reasons and his purposes. There was something for me to see and learn in that irritating circumstance.
Mostly, he wanted me to trust him, seek him, and rest in him, rather than mentally cursing the unknown drivers causing the slowdown.
Anger reveals much about our hearts and motives. Maybe it’s pride over what others might think of us, or greed, demanding of life that all the trees lean our way. Anger reveals what’s really going on inside—and it may not be pretty.
Irritating situations like traffic jams, broken washing machines, missed appointments, and even fender benders don’t just flow in and out of our lives without reason.
Every irritating problem is allowed and purposed by God to force you and me to examine our hearts, confess wrong responses, and ultimately draw closer to the Lord.
Psalm 46:1 tells us that “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”
The psalm goes on to describe all sorts of amazing confusion, dislocation, noise, and desolation—including kingdoms falling and mountains plunging into the sea.
But then it ends with these words: “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (verse 10). The literal translation for be still is “cease striving.”
And that is wonderful advice. Be still…cease striving…stop the inner churning…and realize that you belong to a powerful, loving, infinitely wise God who ultimately controls all things.
When you are in a frustrating situation that lies beyond your ability to change or solve, let go of the anger, confess the wrong attitudes your temper has revealed, and simply rest in him.
Going Deeper
God is a safe place to hide,
ready to help when we need him.
We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom,
courageous in seastorm and earthquake,
Before the rush and roar of oceans,
the tremors that shift mountains…
“Step out of the traffic! Take a long,
loving look at me, your High God,
above politics, above everything.”
Psalm 46:1-3, & verse 10 (The Message)
If today you find yourself in an irritating circumstance, a frustrating situation, stop and examine your heart, then ask for God’s help in resolving that anger so you can draw closer to him. It is the wise and peaceful thing to do.
Daily Devotional “Stop the Inner Churning” | Daily Devotional “Stop the Inner Churning” | Daily Devotional “Stop the Inner Churning”
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