Girlfriends in God - Feb. 22, 2008 - Girlfriends in God Daily Womens Devotions

February 22, 2008

A Calm in the Storm

From time-to-time, the Friday devotions will be written by one of our friends in ministry. We call them our "Friday Friends." So grab your Bible and a fresh cup of coffee and drink in the words from our "Friday Friend", Nancy McGuirk. Nancy helps women find answers to their daily struggles by taking God at His Word. She is the author of Rest Assured, a 90-day devotional that brings calm to busy women. Nancy also teaches over 500 in weekly attendance at the Women’s Community Bible Study of Atlanta, GA.

Today’s Truth

“He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.” (Luke 8:24 NIV)

Friend to Friend

In the summer when our children were younger, I often sat on the beach and watched my husband take them out on a small sailboat. He loves to sail and excelled at tipping the boat almost over on its side, making the children scream in mock fear and true delight. As scared as they were, they knew their father was in control. They’d done this so many times before that they knew they were safe with him. So they held on to the boat and each other, screamed as loud as they could, and laughed all the way back to shore. They were calm in the midst of the waves.

Sometimes our lives are like a storm at sea. When we cry out to Jesus, He may calm the storm, but more often, it seems He calms us in the midst of the storm.

Mothers live in storms every day. With four teenagers, I often find myself rowing and rowing and feeling like I am going nowhere. No sooner have I rowed upstream with one child and feel like I am making progress, than I find myself drifting downstream with another. I need a rudder to keep me headed in the right direction when strong winds blow.

Jesus becomes our rudder as we spend time getting to know Him and listening to Him speak to us. As we know Him better, we understand that He is totally to be trusted with not only our lives but the lives of our children. If we don’t get to know Him, we will listen to the world. Advice from the world is like hidden shoals or sharp boulders beneath the surface, which rip into our lives and cause a flood to come pouring in.

When we are caught in the storms of life, it is easy to think that God has lost control and that we’re at the mercy of the winds of fate. In reality, God is sovereign. He controls the boat. As we spend time getting to know Him and experience His love, we learn to trust Him no matter how large the waves and no matter how scary the storm.

Lets Pray

Heavenly Father, I know the waves are coming, and I want to be ready. I’m not asking You to keep me from the storms, but I am asking You to take me through them. Amen.

Now it’s Your Turn

1. Why do you grow more when Jesus calms you instead of the storm? Why does calming you require

a deeper level of trust?

2. Where do you find yourself tuning in for guidance most frequently—to Jesus or to the world? Why is

easy-to-get guidance often not the most valuable?

3. How have you learned to trust the Lord in the midst of stormy circumstances? What is the promise to

which you cling most consistently?

More from the Girls

Storms will come. You may be furiously treading water right now! Stop! Rest in God and His sufficiency for your life. I know that trusting God seems almost impossible at times. We don’t understand. We can’t see the shore. Remember, God’s ways are higher and His thoughts deeper than ours. And honestly, I don’t want a God I can explain or always understand. Do you? If you are in the midst of a difficult time, check out Nancy’s book, Rest Assured. Blessings!