Finding Peace in Chaos

1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2  Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3  though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
4  There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5  God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6  The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7  The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Psalm 46:1-7

When our world becomes chaotic and unsettled, whether inwardly or on a grand scale, it can be easy to get swept up in anxiety about what’s to come. Sometimes it’s hard to see past our circumstances or the darkness surrounding them. Sometimes finding peace seems impossible. Thankfully the Bible has no shortage of suffering and anxiety among God’s people, so we are able to look to these passages and allow the Holy Spirit to bring us comfort through them, knowing we are not the only ones who have ever felt this way and that God is near.

Psalm 46 is a perfect example of a passage to meditate on when we feel anxious and untethered. David, of course, had his own share of hardships, constantly pursued by those who sought his life. Out of his anguish come many Psalms that speak to the emotional turmoil we all experience at times, which makes the Psalms particularly comforting in times of struggle.

Psalm 46, particularly in the first seven verses, zooms out on our lives and reminds us who is in control. It calls God our refuge, which means he is a safe place — a shelter, a protection from danger. It calls him our strength. He gives us the ability to persevere, not from our own abilities, but from his.

When things seem to go south and all hope seems lost, we can trust that God is still in charge, and with a mere uttering of his voice, he can make the raging cease. It reminds us that He is with us always, even in the midst of hardship. Taking passages like these to heart, meditating on them and praying through them can be extremely helpful in finding peace. The Holy Spirit is sent to us to be our Comforter, so we can also ask Him to indwell our own frail spirits to give us a peace that surpasses understanding, as Scripture says in Philippians.

While we certainly can expect trouble in this broken world, it is safe to trust that God is at hand, and he is sovereign over all things.