“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14.

What a great reminder as I sit inside today looking out at the Gulf, choppy and white-capped. How can something so calm and peaceful one day become so turbulent the next? Just as when the seas are calm, it’s easy to navigate the clear, tranquil waters, when things seem to go our way, but when the sea swells, and the waters churn and become rocky, we try to steer our rudders in the direction we think things should go in our own wit, will, and strength to no avail. The waters today remind me that life happens, whether planned or unplanned. I cannot command Him to do as I will nor control Him to bend to my command. He alone is sovereign. I trust that he fights for me.

So what does it look like to be still in a churning sea of emotion, conflict, unfulfilled promises, or unanswered prayers? I envision it still clinging to a buoy in a storm, but surrendering my will and my plan, and instead choosing to trust Him to work all things together for my good and for those around me, as He has promised.

God doesn’t always command our action in life’s storms. Most often, He’s asking us to surrender our ways to see His. He is our peace in the midst of trouble. He is our comfort in the midst of pain. He is understanding in the midst of chaos, and He is our hope in all things. Life may not always look as I plan or envision, but the ways and directions revealed have always been greater than I could have imagined or hoped for.