Be Still

CRACK! CRASH! Ivy gazed in horror at the chaos around her. Everywhere she turned, everywhere she looked, there was turmoil—she couldn’t escape it. The very earth was trembling as mountain caps collapsed and fell. Ivy clutched at her head. Peace. She needed peace. Quiet. Stillness. Where could she find that on this crumbling earth? Another earthquake shook the ground, and Ivy fell. “Everything is wrong!” she thought. Ivy wrapped her arms around her head again and cried. She could never escape the chaos, the noise. She could never find peace. Then, through the turmoil, she heard a still, small whisper. “Go to the Rock,” the voice said. “Go to the immovable Rock that is higher than you. There you will find peace.” Ivy looked around. There were mountains and rocks higher than her everywhere. But she could only see one that wasn’t shaking like the rEsther She ran toward it, pushing through swarms of people running the other way. When she finally reached the Rock, she started to climb it desperately. But it was steep, and her feet slipped. She kept going, trying to claw her way up until her legs were scraped and her strength was drained. Help me, she cried out inwardly, not even sure who she was asking. But then, she felt a hand grasp hers. She looked up to see someone helping her climb. She felt renewed strength enter her body, and she began to climb the Rock again. Finally, she made it to the top and collapsed, catching her breath. Then she stood and gaped in awe. On top of this rock, it was lush and green and full of people. She looked out and saw that on the ground all around the Rock, there was turmoil. But up here, there was quiet. There was stillness. There was peace. “This Rock will never fall,” she heard the voice whisper again. “Trust in It. It will never fall. Be still.” • Natalie Crowe • Have you ever felt like everything in the world is wrong and there is no peace? Pandemics, political unrest, environmental catastrophes, relationships falling apart it’s all too much! But in the midst of chaos, God is always trustworthy. Jesus made a way for us to enter God’s rest through His death and resurrection. If you’d like, you can take a moment to imagine coming to Jesus, either like Ivy came to the Rock in today’s story or another way. • How might you be able to invite others to trust in Jesus and experience His rest? From the end of the earth, I will call to you when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 61:2 (WEB)

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Psalm 46