-Strength for Today- "Peace Instead of Fear in the Midst of Chaos and Confusion. -Matthew 14:22-27.
If you listen repeatedly to the media, constancy, you’re going to be reminded in a thousand different ways of how much “evil,” “illness,” and “stress,” that’s being poured down upon our lives. And what makes matters worse, are those “hell-bound” reports that’re intermixed with “celebrity gossip,” along with all of their misery. But in spite of it all, there’s only one way to find peace in the midst of chaos, and that is to tune in to the “good news” of Jesus Christ, which is found only in the Bible.
When Peter took his gaze off of Jesus, when walking on the water, (Matthew 14:30), that’s what the news media does to the mind. Because the moment you’re fixated with the “winds” of the world, your mind becomes paralyzed, so that there’s no “spiritual awareness. So, to overcome this “doomsday havoc,” don’t allow the temptation of the “strong winds” to drive you away from Jesus, (1 Corinthians 10:13), just stand still, and live in the moment with thanksgiving.
When we begin to feel, however faintly, the truth of this, we’ll find that the spirit of “thankfulness” is a necessary part of the “spiritual discipline” needed to live in the present moment with God –1 Thessalonians 5:18. Recognizing that each of us are unique in terms of our “backgrounds,” “strengths,” and “weaknesses,” I don’t assume to know what “coping methods” would work best for you when it comes to finding peace in the midst of chaos.
But I do know that if we’ll just trust the Lord, with all of our heart, and lean not unto your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5-6), the ever-present workings of our Provident God, who uses all means will lead us safely to the harbor of Christ.
Author: Plez Lovelady, Jr., PhD