Settle Yourself: Release

Take a few deep breaths and become of the outside stresses in your life. How does your body feel? What is on your mind and heart? Take a moment to offer those things to Jesus, placing them at his feet.

Listen: Rest in the Word

Reflect on the story of Jesus and the disciples as they sailed across the lake and encountered a terrible storm.

Luke 8:22-25 (The Message)

One day he and his disciples got in a boat. “Let’s cross the lake,” he said. And off they went.

It was smooth sailing, and he fell asleep. A terrific storm came up suddenly on the lake. Water poured in, and they were about to capsize. They woke Jesus: “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”

Getting to his feet, he told the wind, “Silence!” and the waves, “Quiet down!” They did it. The lake became smooth as glass.

Then he said to his disciples, “Why can’t you trust me?”

They were in absolute awe, staggered and stammering, “Who is this, anyway? He calls out to the winds and sea, and they do what he tells them!”

Consider this:

Jesus was in the same boat as the disciples, but they needed to wake him when the boat was in peril. How was he able to remain asleep during the howling of the wind and the disciples scurrying about to keep the boat afloat?

Consider this poem by Paul Brunton:

The world gives itself
up to incessant activity
merely because it knows nothing
better.
The inspired man
works among
its whirring wheels
also, but he knows
whither the wheels
are going.
For he has found
the centre
where all is
stillness…

Pray

As you’ve taken these few minutes to get away from any hustle and bustle or storms of your day, get quiet. Be still. Ask God to show you what is stirring in your soul. Take what he shows you and form it into a prayer.

Where is Jesus in your storm(s)? Is there some invitation you sense from him? Is it really the storm that needs calmed, or is it our hearts that need him to say, “peace, be still”?

—
Kathy Milans is the lead member of the Soul Care Collective Steering Committee.