I stared out the small window from my seat in the plane. Clouds, only clouds. Without warning, our jet tossed and tumbled. The pilot confirmed we were experiencing turbulence. How could he land a plane surrounded by dense white mist and powerful unsteady air? My stomach lurched as fear gripped me. Am I in good hands?
Oh the ‘what ifs’. What if the pilot makes a mistake? What if we crash? What if I never see my children and grandchildren again? What if I don’t die on impact? What if I’m maimed forever? What if, what if, what if?
I’m sure Jesus’ disciples felt the same way as their boat pitched and plunged in a terrible storm. Waves crashed over the boat, filling it with water. They cried out for Jesus to help them, but found Him asleep at the back of the boat. They shouted, “Teacher, don’t you even care that we are all about to drown?” (Mark 4:38)
A swirling worried mind can be overwhelmed with fear. Any sense of calm is completely overpowered by angst. Until we intentionally utter the name JESUS. Jesus. Jesus.
The Lord is near to all who call
upon Him, To all who call
upon Him in truth.
Psalm 145:18 (NASB)
Come, Lord Jesus. Calm my fears. I cry out to you in truth. You are my God and Savior. I trust you. You are faithful. Amen.
Jesus responded to His frightened disciples saying, “Why are you afraid, men of little faith?” To the wind and sea, He spoke, “Hush, be still.” All at once they sailed on serene water as serenity invaded their souls. The disciples were completely astounded by the man who stood before them.
Jesus replaced my panic with peace. As I breathed deeply, my cloudy mind began to clear. Before long, tranquility resonated within my spirit. Even though we continued to fly into clouds, my apprehension dissipated. Amazing.
I offered thanks when the wheels of our plane touched the ground. Thank you, Jesus! Smiles washed away worried looks as we landed safely. Sighs of relief expelled around me. In hindsight, passengers could say we were in good hands. I knew whose Hands carried me.
Children of God should confidently say we are in good Hands everyday. We serve a Sovereign God who rules supreme over all things. Over cloudy skies and stormy seas. Over our everyday situations. Can we trust Him? You bet we can! Even when our minds muddle causing cloudy vision, God our pilot sees everything clearly. He is our faithful God who desires for us to have complete faith in Him.
When trouble surrounds you, praise your Heavenly Father. Worship Him in spirit, truth, (John 4:23) and crisis. In the midst of confounding confusion, God can change chaos into order.
Look past your panic into the peaceful face of your God. He loves and cares for you. You are in good Hands!
Be not far from me, for trouble is near; For there is none to help. Psalm 22:11 (NASB)
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, Romans 10:8 (NASB)
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady. Then, when that happens, we are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens and know that all is well, for we know how dearly God loves us, and we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Romans 5:3-5 (TLB)