The heart-stopping news arrived when I was on vacation, 400 miles away. My brand-new granddaughter was struggling to breathe. And therefore, so was I.
Every nerve was strung so tight in my body that a constant high-pitched prayer came from my lips as I threw everything in a suitcase, jumped in the truck, and sped back home.
My husband drove, and I passed the time with worried, frantic flips through the Bible in my lap. “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10), the Holy Spirit counseled.
But didn’t He know that I don’t sit still very well? Quite the contrary, in fact! I tend to pace, overthink, help, and fix. That’s always been my job.
But here I sat trapped, buckled in, racing to the unknown when God asked me again to trust Him. That’s when the battle began.
Fear tried to smother hope with the lie that God was far away. Yet faith looked into the eyes of my soul and steadied me with a rhythm of truth and grace.
Breathe in. “God is…a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).
Breathe out. I needn’t fear the darkest valley “for You are with me” (Psalm 23:4, NIV).
Breathe in. “He Himself gives to all mankind life and breath…” (Acts 17:25).
Breathe out. “Let everything that has breath, praise the Lord” (Psalm 150:6).
Finally, it was settled. The Lord was God—not me. So I filled my lungs with praise to the Sovereign One who held my whole world in His hands. And though our vehicle continued to race, my heart did not. It had already reached its destination—the peace of Christ.
Are you struggling for control today? Pause a moment to breathe Jesus in through His Word. And wait for His peace to follow.
10 comments
Nikki, this is such a wonderful practice… breathe in. Breathe out. And with every breathe, I can remind myself of the truth. Thank you for these life-giving words! My anxious heart needs them ❤️.
Oh, Teresa! God is so faithful to give us everything we need, exactly when we need it.
May you continue to see His provision in every way and in every circumstance you face today, dear sister!
He goes before you!
xoxo
I love how you counseled your heart! God IS our ever-present help. That is such a heart-calming truth.
Yes, God certainly is our ever-present help! Even while traveling at high speeds, He alone can still our hearts.
Thank you Abigail, my friend!
“Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10 )is my favorite verse. Learning to trust has been one of the hardest lessons for me however He always proves to be there to calm me if I just remember to “Be still and know”.
Thank you for the beautiful reminder this morning. Love you Friend!
It’s been a hard lesson for me, too, Jenny! One I keep relearning every day, but ONE DAY, we will get there! I’m so thankful that God wants us to know Him, so we can rest.
Love you so much!
Sometimes it is hard to remember to just breathe, but we are not in control, God is even when our prayers aren’t answered, I am thankful every day for every brea breath, Love you Nikki and thankful our beautiful Livi is good, as always appreciate your words, you are a blessing to our family and the world
I have learned so much about trusting God by watching you over the years, Barb.
I love and appreciate you!
Thank you Nikki for this “Reassuring” article. I too, have had heart-stopping news. I pray for my children and grandchildren everyday. I give all my worries and cares to the Lord. But, then the next day, I seem to worry again. When nothing seems to be happening, I become weary. How long, Lord, must I wait ? But then I have to remind myself of God’s Promises, to “Be Still and know” ! And that God’s timing is always perfect. So, again, thank you Nikki, your words are sooo encouraging !
Oh, Becky! I’m right there with you. Sometimes it takes a lifetime for an answer to prayer to unfold. My sweet mother has been gone for 20 years now, but her prayers are still being answered today. I know – I was one of them! It’s hard to imagine that anyone could love our families more than we do, but JESUS does. (and so we know that’s A LOT OF LOVE!!)
xoxo