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Control in Chaos

I have known it would be my turn to write a blog for a long time now. I have had it on my calendar for weeks. I’ve been praying about it for days. And still, my page remained blank. My mind and soul, however, have not been quiet. So many things have been vying for my attention and creating chaos in my heart. My heart breaks for headline after headline. My thoughts stray to tragedies and injustices. I can’t focus because there is a new calamity every day. I’m distracted by division, finger-pointing, and squabbling.

Finally, I felt the Lord say, “Kathryn, just sit and listen to My words and remember I am in control.” So my page is no longer blank but filled with the words of the psalmist.

I love the Lord because he hears my voice

    and my prayer for mercy.

Because he bends down to listen,

    I will pray as long as I have breath!

Death wrapped its ropes around me;

    the terrors of the grave overtook me.

    I saw only trouble and sorrow.

Then I called on the name of the Lord:

    “Please, Lord, save me!”

How kind the Lord is! How good he is!

    So merciful, this God of ours!

The Lord protects those of childlike faith;

    I was facing death, and he saved me.

Let my soul be at rest again,

    for the Lord has been good to me.

He has saved me from death,

    my eyes from tears,

    my feet from stumbling.

And so I walk in the Lord’s presence

    as I live here on earth!

I believed in you, so I said,

    “I am deeply troubled, Lord.”

In my anxiety I cried out to you,

    “These people are all liars!”

What can I offer the Lord

    for all he has done for me?

I will lift up the cup of salvation

    and praise the Lord’s name for saving me.

I will keep my promises to the Lord

    in the presence of all his people.

The Lord cares deeply

    when his loved ones die.

O Lord, I am your servant;

    yes, I am your servant, born into your household;

    you have freed me from my chains.

I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving

    and call on the name of the Lord.

I will fulfill my vows to the Lord

    in the presence of all his people—

in the house of the Lord

    in the heart of Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 116 (NLT)

The Word of the Lord rings as true today as it did when it was written.  There is nothing new under the sun.  There will always be chaos.  But nothing surprises our God who is in control, who tamed the chaos in the beginning. So simply come to Him. Let His Word wash over you and comfort you. Find refuge in its peace.

Kathryn Pesyna: I am a born and raised Midwesterner from Indiana, but I found a new home in California by way of Austin, Texas. I married my high school sweetheart who helps me raise our three kiddos. I am a self-diagnosed anglophile with a degree in English Language & Literature from Purdue University. I am an Enneagram One who struggles with perfection in the eyes of God but loves to rest in His goodness and justice. I love all things Harry Potter, crosswords, Tex-Mex, bullet journals, and Beethoven.
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