No Need To Panic - Encouragement for Today - September 8, 2022
No Need To Panic
NANCY DEMOSS WOLGEMUTH
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“The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned, King forever.” Psalm 29:10 (CSB)
Trouble. Turmoil. False accusations. Flood warnings. We live in a world that is churning wildly. My precious husband has been through two unrelated cancers over the past couple of years. Our world has been churning. Perhaps yours has too.
When rising waters threaten to engulf your life, you may feel as though your only option is to panic. But what if you didn’t need to?
During the unforgettable ups and downs (more downs than ups, it seems) of recent years, I have found myself parked in Psalm 29. Over and over again, through trying days and sometimes wakeful nights, I have meditated on these 11 verses phrase by phrase, reciting and praying them again and again, until they’ve become a part of the fabric of my being.
The early part of this psalm describes something drastic going on in nature — possibly a massive thunderstorm — symbolizing overwhelming circumstances that threaten to take us under. And the psalm concludes with our key verse, Psalm 29:10, which issues a resounding statement of faith that affirms God’s rule over all of life and creation:
“The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned, King forever.”
This verse, if you embed it in your heart, will give you enough courage and comfort to last a lifetime, regardless of any floods and storms that may threaten to overwhelm you.
What is God doing during these storms? He is sitting. He sits above the flood; He sits as King forever. He’s not nervously pacing the celestial hallways. He’s not running around in a panic-stricken frenzy. He’s not cobbling together a council to help Him figure out what to do.
God is under control. God is in control — over and above all things. Nothing is happening in your life or mine, in our nation or anywhere else on the planet, that He is not sovereignly, providentially presiding over.
Maybe you’re thinking, How can this be true? How can God be sovereign over the painful situations I’ve endured, the hurt I’ve experienced at the hands of others? How could God have let that happen?
Friend, I get it. I’ve wept with parents at the graveside of a prodigal, with precious friends whose lives have been upended through unspeakable abuse, with women who have borne the brunt of their husbands' unfaithfulness — all trying to reconcile overwhelming circumstances with what they have been told is true about God.
I wish there were an easy answer. But until we are in His presence and all that is now mysterious becomes plain, God asks us simply to trust that He is still sovereign and good and that, through the power of the gospel, He is redeeming this broken world and making all things new.
As Psalm 29:10 says, the storms and floods of life happen beneath Him, not above Him. Though their waters swell, He is in charge of how far they can reach. And just as surely as He’s stirred up those waves, He can also cause them to be still. (Psalm 107:25; Psalm 107:29)
This doesn’t mean the floods are not dangerous.
But it does mean the floods are not final.
“The LORD gives his people strength; the LORD blesses his people with peace.” (Psalm 29:11, CSB)
God, our one and only King, has made His strength and peace available to us even in situations that feel highly unstable and uncertain — panic is not our only option. Panic, in fact, makes no sense under these conditions.
Our God sits enthroned. Our God is “King forever.” And He is able to give us not only strength but also peace. So we may have fears, and we may have tears, but we don’t have to come undone. Because heaven rules.
Lord, You are the God of peace and comfort. When I am overwhelmed by this world, reassure me of Your presence. Calm my heart, and bless me with Your peace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
OUR FAVORITE THINGS
Take courage and comfort in the truth that God is in control — pick up Heaven Rules, a book by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth that will leave you with renewed hope and perspective.
ENGAGE
Discover resources to help you thrive in Christ at ReviveOurHearts.com.
FOR DEEPER STUDY
Psalm 29:1-2, “Ascribe to the LORD, you heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.” (CSB)
As you face difficult circumstances and begin to feel overwhelmed, what are some ways you can reassure your heart — whether in thought or in action — of the rock-solid truth that heaven rules? We would love to know your ideas in the comments!
© 2022 by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org
