Bonnie Smith
Anxious Storm

I love when, after praying to God for help in a certain area, you just happen to come across exactly what you need. I haven’t been as diligent about my quiet time over the past couple of weeks, so that coupled with some stressful situations in my life, my old long lost friend anxiety and fear have come back for a visit. When that happens I feel so far from God and I react badly to others with impatience and emotional distance. So this morning I made the decision that no matter what, I was making time for my Coffee Date with God. His company is so much better than the emotional turmoil of anxiety and all that follows it. Time with Him gives me peace, a quiet strength and clarity. It’s like He picks me up out of the storm and holds me, allowing me to see the storm from His perspective. I sense Him saying...my dear child, it’s going to be okay. You are only there for a little while. I will not leave you in that storm. I will always finish the work I began. “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Philippians 1:6 This world is not your home, so keep your eyes on me as I usher you into eternity one day at a time. It’s so amazing how, as humans, we run from The One who has exactly what we need! We go to our spouses, our friends, our addictions or tv/Internet to give us our identity and satisfy our needs. That is until we finally realize that nothing on this earth can fully satisfy. When we look to Him, He soothes our fearful and restless souls! He gives us a quiet strength, to not only endure all things, but to thrive in spite of them. It is when we are at our weakest that we stop relying on ourselves or others and finally turn to God for strength. “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 So, with all that being said, here is what He showed me this morning that was exactly what I needed ❤️Which, I just so happen s to come across it while looking for a journal to write in, during my quiet time. The one I found, which I thought was empty...had the following nuggets of wisdom I jotted down several years ago while listedjing to a Revive Our Hearts podcast by Nancy Leigh DeMoss and was exactly what I needed to hear today. “Meekness is calm confidence, settled assurance, and rest of the soul. It is the tranquil stillness of a heart that is at rest in Christ. It is the place of peace. Meekness springs from a heart of humility, radiating the fragrance of Christ.” ~Matthew Henry 1. The meek will be at rest in the storms of life. (Matt 11:28; Psalm 37:7 & Hebrews 4:1-11) 2. The meek will react to circumstances with peaceful trust. (In God, not the circumstances) versus being fretful, and attempting to manipulate individuals or circumstances. 3. The meek will make life choices based on scriptural principles. (Humbled by knowing “my way, isn’t always the best way”) versus making choices based on emotions or fleeting passions of the moment. 4. The meek find their confidence in the security of the truths of God’s Word and His faithfulness versus the fretful, who trust in their own abilities and power to control others and details. 5. Meekness is the silent submission of the soul to the “providence” of God concerning us. 6. The meek find their worth and value in knowing who they are in Christ. Who God created them to be versus finding worth and value in our own accomplishments and what others think of us. Are you in a storm? Do these nuggets of truth soothe your weary soul as it does mine? (Nuggets of wisdom adapted from Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Matthew Henry)