Hold Me Steady

Be to me a rock of refuge and a sheltering stronghold to which I may continually come;
You have given the commandment to save me,
For You are my rock and my fortress.

When we are tossed about, Jesus is our rock of refuge, a sheltering stronghold, a fortress that will hold us steady.

PSALM: Just as I am 1835
Charlotte Eliott (1789-1871)

Just as I am Thou tossed about
With many a conflict many a doubt
Fightings and fears within without
O Lamb of God I come I come

Some tossings are to tame the waves, overtake our fears, and fight our doubts. Sometimes, the waves of darkness can bring our attention to the Light.

PARABLE:  I begin standing. Bracing myself by sinking my heels in the sand. I slightly trust that I am stable yet doubt that I am grounded enough to withstand the waves. I try anyway. Fighting back my fears. The gentle waves wash over my feet until the big wave comes and washes the sand away beneath me and tosses me to my knees. Eventually, I surrender and come to my knees. I kneel in the sand with the heat of the sun warming my legs. I wait for the cool breeze of the waves to crash on the shore, toss me about, and wash over me. Clinging to his hand, I say to Troy, “Hold me steady.”  Something about tossing when I am on my knees and holding on to Troy’s hand, helps me feel safe and certain. 

I want to trust God in the same way. Yet, I confess there are times when my emotional earth is shaking, when my spiritual confidence is in an earthquake, when my logical mind is drifting, that what I believe at that moment and what I KNOW are at war. That is when, just as I am, I come to The Lamb of God. The one who is tender enough to hold me steady in the waves. I reach my hands to the Son, call upon His name, and hold desperately to His promises. I remember what I know. There is peace available to me in the raging waves. The sinking sand is converted to jointing sand that fills the empty spaces of my anxious heart. My sanctuary, Jesus will find me where the waves of life meet the rock of refuge and sheltering stronghold that holds me steady.

Soul care training exercise:  Situations can appear to crumble the ground beneath us. When the ground seems to give way, you can come to the ROCK that NEVER moves. Jesus will hold you steady. Ponder the question In this moment, what truth do I most need to know about Jesus’ promises to be the constant, steady, Rock of Ages? 

• Reflect and let the Holy Spirit reveal to you His promise He wants you to hold on to in this moment.
• Notice without judgment and with a curious awareness of what comes to your mind. Invite God into your sanctified imagination. Ask Him to bring to your attention what He wants you to know.
• Next scan your mind and notice what the Holy Spirit is sharing that you need to know, hear, or do as you come to Jesus just as you are in this moment. Expand your thoughts, it may be something you never heard told this way before.
• Finally, Focus on what you see and hear. With a breath of assurance, breathe in and breathe out and accept what Jesus is offering to you.

PRAYER: Jesus, I come just as I am knowing you are my constant. You steady the waves of my crashing mind. You hold me steady when the chaos is taking my breath away. You are the Breath of Life that leads me back to the truth that fear is a liar, doubt is a liar, and your faithful, constant, steady, kind, and gracious love is true. The tossing waves will be tamed. You will meet me where the waves meet the sand. In Jesus name, Amen. 

PRAISE: Now that you have emptied your mind of the clutter and wandered with Jesus, take a closing moment to thank Jesus that He will hold you steady. Then take the mindfulness of Jesus’ Presence in these last few minutes of wandering into the next ones and beyond.

Until next time, be Resonant.

The post Hold Me Steady appeared first on Resonant 7.

Take five minutes Bonus Guided Meditation Steady.

Image attributions:  Text art app with words added