An Encouragement in the Middle of the Storm…

I hope you are doing well and had an amazing Christmas and New Year! I haven’t been posting much for a few weeks as I have been focusing on spending time with family in the holiday season.

We live in a beautiful coastal city. This morning I briefly went to look at the beach and noticed that the waves at the moment are massive. There is currently a cyclone off the coast of New Zealand and it is causing massive swells at the beach. On top of that, there was also the remnants of some tsunami activity from a volcanic explosion in the Pacific over the weekend. The foam and the pounding of the waves were intense. I certainly would not want to be caught in them.

Yet, it seems like life has been nothing but storms of late, both in our personal lives and in the world at large. You don’t need me to tell you about the chaos, confusion and fear that is running riot in the world. It can certainly feel like life is nothing but pounding waves and surges which leave us struggling to breathe, keep our heads above water and knowing which way is up.

We also live in a city that sits on a harbour, so there are many inlets. After watching the waves for a few minutes, I went and sat by one of these inlets. I was instantly struck by how peaceful it was. The water was still, there were no waves. All I could hear was the sound of the breeze and the birds. It was peaceful and refreshing. It was crazy to think that just a few miles away was an ocean that was so intense and churned up.

As I was sitting and reflection on this, I was reminded of the famous verse in Psalm 23, “he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.” I certainly felt a refreshing going on inside of me as I sat with Him by the still waters. It didn’t change the fact that there were rough seas nearby, but it did give me some much needed stillness and rest.

I believe this is an invitation that is being extended to every one of us today. Even in the storms of life, in fact, in spite of the storms of life, we are all being invited to let Him lead us to still waters so our souls can be refreshed. It doesn’t change the fact that there is much going on in the natural and the spiritual, but it does mean we can experience true peace, rest and joy in spite of it.

As I sat by those still waters, I noticed a catamaran that was anchored there. Although I could see the tide moving out, the boat wasn’t moving. Why? Quite simply, it was anchored. I was also struck by the name written on the side of the boat – Air Power. As I noticed this, I felt the Holy Spirit reminding me that in the same way a catamaran is guided by the wind in its sails, when we allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit, our own ‘air power’, we can experience that peace, stillness and restoration that is being offered to all of us. When we anchor ourselves to Jesus, we can be as immovable as that boat sitting in the harbour.

As I continued to reflect on this valuable truth, I was reminded of today’s date (in New Zealand it is the 17th today). The number 17 means ‘complete victory’. I was also reminded that this is a key to walking in the complete victory that we have been created to walk in. When we let Him lead us to still waters in the midst of the noise and chaos, we receive so much more than we expect!

Perhaps, today, you need this reminder, and the Father is inviting you to join Him by the peaceful, still waters, so you can experience the refreshment that is available to each of us. Perhaps, in order to do that, there are some things you need to let go of that are getting in the way. My encouragement to you is, don’t be afraid to do so, because the benefits and blessings far outweigh what is available to each one of us.