Calm Trust

Posted bymusingsofmanettekayPosted inChristian Living, Devotional, Meditation, PrayerTags:, , , , ,

One lesson we can learn from the Teacher, Jesus Christ, is calm trust. As I was reading a passage in the gospel of Matthew, I was struck by the juxtaposing reactions of Jesus and his disciples.

“As he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. Suddenly, a violent storm arose on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves—but Jesus kept sleeping. So the disciples came and woke him up, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We’re going to die!’

He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you of little faith?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm” (Matthew 8:23-26, CSB).

Look at the contrast in response to the same circumstance. Jesus sleeps undisturbed by the storm while the disciples are overtaken with panic and fear heard in their plea, “Lord, save us! We’re going to die!”

I’ve often reacted to a life storm in much the same manner as the disciples. My mind conjures up the worst crisis rather than the calm trust demonstrated by Jesus. What can I learn about God from the response of Jesus?

• God can provide peace during storms.
• God has authority over all events.
• God hears and answers in times of trouble.

When I have confidence and trust in Almighty God, my response will become more like Jesus and less like the disciples. Which actions indicate calm trust? Ultimately, faith responds without fear. Yet because we are a work in progress, we can call upon the LORD when in fear. As our trust grows, reactions to natural or metaphorical life storms will be less exaggerated and dramatic. A peaceful response testifies to the Holy Spirit’s presence at work.

The Apostle Paul spoke of confident trust saying, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV). He also warned us to not fall back to our old ways, “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father!’ ” (Romans 8:15, CSB).

Dear Reader, how do you respond to storms? Are there actions you need to take towards trust?

Prayer:
Dear Father God, thank you for teaching us through Jesus. Thank you for providing help through the Holy Spirit. Jesus was able to sleep amid the storm. I want to trust you like that. Yehovah you are worthy of all glory, blessed be your name. Amen.

Author Bio
I am a follower of Jesus Christ, grandmother, great-grandmother, foster care parent, and trauma survivor. I enjoy sipping tea, writing devotionals, prayers, short stories, and unburdening my heart to the Lord. Check the About page if you want to read more of my story.

Would you like to know more about the afterlife and how you can be assured of eternity in Heaven? Check the Questions page.

Check the Free Gifts page for downloadable/printable study guides and resources.

Copyright © 2020-2023 Musings of Manette Kay™ All rights reserved. Requests to the author and publisher, Manette Kay, for permission.

Storm photo by Torsten Dederichs on Unsplash.
Scripture quotation added by Manette Kay.

Published by musingsofmanettekay

Sharing bits of memoir in the format of devotionals, prayers, short stories, and occasionally a poem.

18 thoughts on “Calm Trust”

  1. A good post Manette, which reminds me of how I deal with life’s storms. I will be honest enough to admit immediately I am disheartened…but then my mind harks back to my worst storm when I was diagnosed with my first brain tumour. In that time both Susan and I were blessed with an indescribable peace and assurance in God; it was the one thing that friends and brethren commented on in astonishment. But we were quick to point out it wasn’t us who achieved this calmness in the storm, it was a gift of God. So nowadays I reset myself to that frame of mind when a storm is brewing.
    Thank you for reminding me of this dear sister, may our Father God bless you today 🙏

    Liked by 2 people

  2. A former therapist of mine called my tendency to dwell on the negative “awfulizing.”
    He was right, of course.

    Your point about exercising faith and trust in God builds more of the same is spot on The words of the old hymn say it well:🎶Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him. How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er….Oh, for grace to trust Him more!🎶

    This is where the power of your excellent prayer comes in. Under our own power, we will likely awfulize about the storm (like the disciples). But under the control of Christ….there is peace.

    Great post, Manette Kay. Thanks for letting me preach a little here. ☺️

    Liked by 2 people

  3. Manette, your words were something that was so timely for me. It is Wednesday morning here in Australia. I woke up worrying about something. Got up, and came to my favourite spot on the couch to spend some quiet time with God. At the end of that almost like an answer to my pouring out my heart to him I ended up seeing the title of your post which said ‘calm trust’. And after reading your post , It was like the Lord telling me to do just that.
    God Bless you Manette.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Oh, Manu, thank you for sharing. I intended to write something else, but I felt the prompting of the Spirit to set that aside and share about calm trust instead. This lesson was fresh for me this morning. I’m grateful the Holy Spirit knows just what we need and how to get it to us. Yehovah bless you dear sister.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Wow! to think that you had intended to write something else but was led to share this, further fills me awe and gratitude towards the Lord love and care.

        Liked by 1 person

  6. I remember running like a madman to catch a bus in Amsterdam. The driver almost drove away without me, but opened the door for me with an almost sad look in his face. “You must be American,” he said even before I’d opened my mouth. “There’s another bus in five minutes, you know.” 😔 Lesson not fully learnt yet, but he got through to me.
    ❤️&🙏, c.a.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I can almost feel anxiety rise thinking of running to catch a bus in unfamiliar territory but your story brought a chuckle with the bus driver’s response. Thanks for sharing, C.A. Yehovah bless you.

      Liked by 1 person

  8. I love that passage of Scripture. One morning many years ago, I was on my way to work at a college where for the first time, my boss was going to observe/evaluate me while I was teaching; I was feeling rather nervous. I prayed and listened two or three times to Twila Paris singing “Peace, Be Still” (based on that passage), and I felt calmer. The class went well, and I had a good evaluation!

    Liked by 1 person

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