Comfort From a Creator of Calm and Roar

Yesterday’s sermon was about Psalm 24. I’m so thankful for the Psalms that express the beauty of the Lord and bring consolation to the soul through the work of the Holy Spirit. They express both lament and praise: sorrow over pain and trials and over sin and joy because of who the Lord is. The writers of Psalms (most often King David but others as well) express the reality of life and admit their need for God while praising and thanking Him. They remind us that while human life contains pain, we have a Lord whom we can turn our minds to, trust, and find refuge in. Psalm 24, in particular, reminds us that the Lord is almighty. He is the King of Glory. And my favorite today: He is strong in battle!

My favorite journal the last couple of years is a guided one called Soul Care for the Battle by Susie Larson. She has great prompts that help me stay the course when life seems especially tough. I find myself stuffing in bits and pieces of paper with my own added thoughts as the journal is filling up. Last night, as I reviewed some of the notes, I found something special that I wanted to reflect on.

I don’t have a lot of experience with the ocean; however, I was privileged to share a vacation with a close friend along the Oregon coast several years ago. We stayed in a little cabin along the beach, and I had the best rest! Night after night, I could hear the waves of the ocean roar through the night and race toward the shoreline. It was incredibly peaceful and lulled me to sleep easily.

The Lord reminded me of the calmness of the ocean as I worked through a particularly hard day with illness. He is the LORD who churned up the sea to make it roar. The Lord Almighty is His name. Today, as I reflect on the thoughts in my mind, the Spirit reminds me that this same Lord also established boundaries. The ocean waters are only allowed to go so far. They may seem to engulf parts of the land when the earth is broken and shaken, but they never flood the entire earth. ( Psalm 104:5-9) The Lord Almighty is creator of the roar and the calm. He fights for us in battle with vengeance through His Son Jesus, and He calms the soul, bringing peace. He is the governor of peace in all circumstances, and it’s there even if we don’t feel it in the moment. After all, when the body is in fight-or-flight mode, it’s not feeling at peace. I was in this state last night! But peace is there, nevertheless. The Lord of peace is our refuge. He is the One we call out to, and He is the One we plead for others to pray to on our behalf. Sometimes this means admitting our pain, and that’s not always easy. I’m preaching this to myself as I write and share with you.

We may feel as though we will be completely engulfed with grief or pain or anxiety, but they will not overcome us as we trust Him to be our refuge. We can trust Him to keep boundaries where they need to be. He will not let us be overcome and lost by our sufferings. Yet we must choose to keep clinging to Him and allow Him to use the pain for our good and growth. We become true overcomers as we continue to choose Him as our source of comfort — not as a crutch or a pill or a temporary escape, but as the only trustworthy source of health and life, which will one day be revealed. To endure leads to perseverance, which leads to character, which leads to hope! Hope will not disappoint us! (Romans 5:1-5)

It’s wild, but often I find that as I suffer, I can be a comfort to others who are fighting their own trials. I find comfort and peace in writing out these thoughts today. Perhaps my body roars in pain, but as a result, I find myself leaning harder on the Lord, who gives me words to share. It sets my mind on who He truly is, and it gives me peace. I hope those words bring you comfort, as they do me. Let the King of Glory, mentioned in Psalm 24, come in and battle for you. Be patient in your afflictions as He works through your heart and soul, removing from your life what is unnecessary. (Romans 12:12 and John 15) Ask Him for wisdom and He will reveal it to you. Be willing to change so you can move forward with Him. (James 1:5-6)