Where do we find our calm? I remember as a child seeing the old Calgon bath commercial. It advertised that a bath with Calgon was a place where an exhausted mother could go to escape and find some peace. It seems we all need some Calgon these days. But we really need something much greater. We need to stop trying to figure everything out. Everyone wants an answer. Quite often demanding an answer. That will rarely bring calm and peace (truly…I don’t believe it ever will).

You can turn to one news station and ten minutes later turn to another and get whiplash from the massive differences in how things are reported. It’s overwhelming, and honestly, I don’t think it’s good for our souls. We often have this complex that we have to know all the answers. Well, let me put it simply. We don’t know all the answers. We (you) are not God. This does not mean we shouldn’t seek to be informed or to grow in our understanding of the way life works. But what it does mean - is that we need to learn to rest rather than to be constantly chasing after things that are perhaps a bit bigger than us.

Psalm 131 is a short and simple song of David. It is a psalm of confidence and of great rest. The controlling image is of a weaned child…calmed and quieted in his mother’s arms. It is so peaceful. It is true contentment. How does David get to that point? He humbles himself. He does not chase after things in arrogance and pride that are too big for him (cf. Deuteronomy 29:29). He places his hope and his trust solely in the one who has the power and ability and the wisdom to handle everything. He hopes and rests in God.

In some sense, this is an Old Testament version of Romans 8:28. We can rest and trust because we believe that God is working in all things…and we don’t need to know all the specifics. Let us look to God in calm and rest. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus (his life, death, and resurrection a perfect example of God working all things). Calm yourself in his presence. Trust and hope in the Lord, from this time forth and forevermore.

1 O LORD, my heart is not lifted up; 

my eyes are not raised too high; 

I do not occupy myself with things 

too great and too marvelous for me. 

2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul, 

like a weaned child with its mother; 

like a weaned child is my soul within me. 

3 O Israel, hope in the LORD 

from this time forth and forevermore. 

Here is the song “Psalm 131” by the band Waterdeep.

It is another Monday…and another Monday under ‘stay-at-home’ orders from the governor. Not only that, but (unless something drastic brings about change) there are going to be at least three more Mondays beyond today. And often Mondays are hard enough as it is for many, but when it’s under circumstances like what we find ourselves in…it can be all the more gloomy.

This gloominess can often lead to anxiety.

Anxiety: a.) apprehensive uneasiness or nervousness usually over an impending or anticipated ill. b.) mentally distressing concern or interest. c.) a strong desire sometimes mixed with doubt, fear, or uneasiness.

And there is a weight to that on our lives. Proverbs 12:25: Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.

Our hearts need encouragement. We are commanded to encourage and build up one another (1 Thessalonians 5:11). We know that must include more than mere words (James 2:14-16); however, my focus today is on words. A good word can cheer the heart. A good word can bring life back to a weary soul. I think it’s obvious that the greatest word that can cheer the soul is the Word of God…the gospel that calls sinners to repent and by faith come and find rest for their weary souls (Matthew 11:28-30). It is the word that tells us our sins are forgiven and that nothing (literally nothing…not a pandemic, not distress or danger) can separate those who are ‘in Christ’ from God’s love (Romans 8:31-39).

We desperately, moment by moment, need to hear that word. And we can hear that by ourselves in God’s Word, but it is also great to hear words of encouragement from one another. Maybe today…pick up the phone and call someone. Pray for them. Or send them a text that you have prayed for them and you want to know how you can continue to pray. Drop off some fresh baked bread or cookies with a note of encouragement.

Let’s be conduits of the good word that makes the heart glad. And remember this, those in Christ, though literally all hell should break loose, it is well with our souls because Christ regarded our helpless estate and shed his own blood for our souls.

Together for the Gospel Live 2008 - Bob Kauflin Buy album here: http://sovereigngracemusic.org/Albums/Together_for_the_Gospel_Live

When peace like a river attendeth my way 
When sorrows like sea billows roll 
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say 
It is well, it is well with my soul 

It is well with my soul 
It is well with my soul 
It is well, it is well with my soul 

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come 
Let this blest assurance control 
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate 
And has shed His own blood for my soul 

My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought 
My sin, not in part, but the whole 
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more 
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul 

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight 
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll 
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend 
Even so, it is well with my soul 

Unlike many people, I don’t really dislike Mondays. Typically it’s my day off…a day to rest and recover a bit from a busy and draining (in a good way) Sunday. That has felt different over the past 5 weeks or so. I don’t have the same tiredness, but there is still emotional drain - and today with the cloudy and rainy skies and the temperature dropping - it’s a bit gloomy (especially as I type from a dark basement).

And the gloominess is a bit of picture of the longness of these days were are living in right now. There is uncertainty and (at least a bit of) trepidation. What is going to happen? When is the country going to open up again? Will we be safe from this virus? And sometimes the peace that we long for is hard to hold on to or even come by, but we have to go to the only source of peace in the midst of the uncertainty.

I think of Isaiah 26:3,4:

3 You keep him in perfect peace 

whose mind is stayed on you, 

because he trusts in you. 

4 Trust in the LORD forever, 

for the LORD God is an everlasting rock. 

Our Lord is our everlasting rock. He is the Rock of Ages. He is the one who can (and will) keep us in perfect peace. We are to labor to find rest in him. Our eyes must be fixed on him in the midst of whatever we are going through. He has proved his status as our rock over and over and over again. We can trust him. The resurrection of Jesus was the ultimate picture for us that our God is to be trusted. Our God gives us peace. Our God secures our hope. He truly is the anchor of our soul.

There is a great song written by Sandra McCracken called “Rock of Ages (When the Day Seems Long). [Here is a second version of it by Indelible Grace] Listen and let the words of truth wash over your soul. Our God is our solid and secure rock!

Lyrics written by Sandra McCracken and the music written by Indelible Grace's Kevin Twit. It has a nice haunting melody mixed with strains of Celtic influences.

I admit that I have felt a bit listless the past day. I have been fever free now for well over 72 hours, but I lost my senses of taste and smell….and that was a symptom I didn’t really want showing up. The nature of this virus is so unknown that it’s difficult to know what to do and when. I did come out of total quarantine yesterday, but I basically moved to the basement and I’m wearing a mask around the house. My daughter today asked: “When are you going to be able to stop wearing that mask?” And my only answer was: “I don’t know.”

“I don’t know” is hard for me. I like to know things. I don’t like not knowing what to do. Maybe it’s having grown up watching G.I. Joe cartoons and the slogan “Knowing is half the battle” was drilled into my brain, but it is simply hard for me not to know and then to be able to take action in the midst of not knowing. Perhaps the Lord is teaching me something through this.

Perhaps my knowing is focused on the wrong object. Proverbs 9:10: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is insight. Or Psalm 111:10: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!

Rather than seeking to know what I can’t know, the Lord is calling me to know Him better. I think of this song by Michael Card (yes, I’ve already had a song by him, but his stuff is good). It’s called “The Way of Wisdom” (video below) and there is line that says: “The way of understanding lies in not how much you know, where the pathway is a person that you’ve come to love and so, you can stop pretending that it all depends on you, for it’s not how much you love as much as how much He loves you.”

I can stop feeling like I have to know it all…I can stop pretending. What freedom! My wisdom, your wisdom, right now is to know Christ. To pursue Him. Isaiah 11:1, 2: There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

The Way of Wisdom starts out with a step of holy fear
And it makes its way alone by every good word that you hear
It has to do with passion and it has to do with pain
It has to do with One, Who has both died and rose again
Died and rose again

And the Way of Wisdom is living
The Path of Peace is forgiving
Behold the Man of Meaning
Behold, He is the Lord

The way of understanding lies in not how much you know
Where the pathway is a person that you've come to love and so
You can stop pretending that it all depends on you
For it's not how much you love as much as how much He loves you
How much He loves you

And the Way of Wisdom is living
The Path of Peace is forgiving
Behold the Man of Meaning
Behold, He is the Lord

The Way of Wisdom beckons us to find the end of fear that perfect love pursues
Wisdom did not come to simply speak the words of truth
He's the Word that makes us true

The Way of Wisdom starts out with a step of holy fear
That's only the beginning and there's much more that is clear
The path leads on to love and love is fearless in its ways
For Love Himself was not afraid
To die that we'd be saved
To die that we'd be saved

And the Way of Wisdom is living
The Path of Peace is forgiving
Behold the Man of Meaning
Behold, He is the Lord…
Behold, He is the Lord

Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group The Way Of Wisdom (Proverbs) · Michael Card The Way Of Wisdom ℗ 1990 Sparrow Records Released on: 1990-01-01 Pro...