Rest for the Storm-Tossed Soul: How God Brings Calm in Turbulent Times

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ARTWORK: "PEACE IN THE MIDST OF STORM" BY JANE MORIN

Storms come in many forms; unexpected news, painful loss, deep disappointment, financial strain, anxiety, or seasons where life feels unpredictable and out of control. Sometimes the storm is external, swirling around us. Other times, the storm is internal, raging within our own hearts. But Scripture paints a powerful truth across every wave: God brings calm even when the storm is raging.

As a young child, I loved hearing a good thunderstorm. I had a window at the foot of my bed and I would lay my pillow in the window, and sleep in the middle of the storm. I have always enjoyed the sound of rain to this day. I love the smell of the air after a good rain and the freshness of things after the rain has washed the earth.

Some people and animals run for cover during a storm. And sometimes that is needed depending on the severity of the storm event. These physical storms allow us a picture of what a spiritual storm produces in our life.

In reality, no one prays for God to send them a stormy or turbulent season. However, we can have a change of heart when storms arise if we keep our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.

The Psalms and the Gospels remind us that the presence of God is not dependent on peaceful circumstances. His presence alone supplies us peace.

Did you know that God is not afraid of your storm?

In Psalm 107 we see some sailors facing a fierce storm and how they responded. The word says,

“Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, And He brought them out of their distresses. He caused the storm to be still, So that the waves of the sea were hushed.” (Psalm 107: 27-28)

Friend, God doesn’t step back from our storms or times of trouble; He steps right in the middle of it. What terrifies us does not intimidate Him. He is never caught off guard, never overwhelmed, and never powerless. Your storm is not too strong for Him. He is present in the chaos long before you feel calm.

In the Gospel of Mark we see that Jesus met the disciples in the middle of the storm, not after it passed. In Mark 4, the disciples experienced a literal storm that filled their boat with water. Fear consumed them. But Jesus was there; right in the boat, right in the chaos, right in the moment they felt like they were drowning. And with just a few words, “Peace, be still”...everything changed.

Notice something powerful: Jesus didn’t wait for the storm to pass to reveal His peace. He brought peace into the storm. The same is true for you. Jesus is not outside your situation waiting for things to calm down. He is in the boat with you, unshaken and unmovable.

Now, sometimes God calms the storm around us. Other times, He first chooses to calm the storm within us. Psalm 46:2–3 reveal to us a trembling earth and roaring waters, yet the psalmist declares, “Therefore, we will not fear.” This is the surprising peace Jesus talked about: peace that surpasses understanding, and peace that doesn’t match the chaos around you.

God may not remove every storm instantly, but He offers something deeper and far more precious and that is rest for your soul, even when your circumstances are unsettled.

Psalm 62:1 says, “Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from Him.”

Rest isn’t found in knowing the outcome or controlling the future. Rest is found in knowing God for He is our anchor of hope that holds us together. It is important to remember that anchored souls may still feel the waves, but they do not drift or break up in the midst of a storm. When we come into agreement with God’s word, then we incite God’s peace into the storms of our life. We do that by breathing a prayer or a promise of God such as:

You are with me.

I put my trust in you.

You are my Rock and my Salvation, whom then shall I fear.

Just acknowledging God’s truth can calm the raging storm inside your spirit and your mind. One thing about speaking or praying His Word is that you do not need to offer a polished prayer for God to hear your desperation. He can handle you telling Him what scares you, what weighs you down or makes you feel uncertain. Just voice your concerns to God, who already knows what you are thinking, feeling and experiencing before a single word is uttered from your lips. Raw, unrehearsed prayers are the most powerful.

I encourage you, as mentioned before, that you speak scripture over your storm. Psalm 91, Psalm 34, Psalm 23 are all comforting and strengthening scriptures that will quiet your fear and nourish your soul.

Remember to thank God for His presence in the midst of your circumstances. Gratitude shifts your focus from the waves to the One who controls them.

Though storms are real, they are temporary. Waves rise, but they also fall. Turbulent times shape us, but they do not define us. God brings peace that the world cannot manufacture and that the storms cannot steal when our soul is anchored in Christ.

Your soul may feel storm-tossed, but it is held by the One who speaks. The One whose words cause the wind and the waves to obey in submission.

I am not sure what you may be going through today, or what kind of storm you have been enduring in this season of your life, but I can assure you that peace is coming. I can testify that strength is rising, and that God’s calm over the storm in your life is closer than you think.

When we learn not to fear the storm, but trust the One who can take us through the storm, then our life becomes like the earth after a rainstorm as we offer to God, and to others a gift. For the Word of God says, “For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; (2 Corinthians 2:15)

Selah.

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