Calming My Storm

Today is the final day of my week long seminary class on worship. It has been wonderful, yet unexpectedly emotionally draining. Some of the sessions have felt more like 6 hour long sermons directed right to my heart. I've felt conviction, joy, shame, elation, hope, fear, and a whole host of other things. It has almost been like a turbulent storm is raging in my heart, sometimes showing on the outside with tears, sometimes just churning within.

This morning, as providence would have it, I read Matthew chapter 8. In this chapter, Christ calms two different storms: one on the sea and one in a demon possessed man's heart. Each time he speaks very little to accomplish his task. Matthew doesn't even record the words, "Peace! Be Still!" that Mark does. With the demon possessed man he simply says "Go" to the demons and they flee.

Last evening Christ spoke a different word to me: "Play." I don't really remember hearing that one too often, but I did feel the urge to release my pent up emotions. It was after dinner in our little dorm and I noticed the piano downstairs was available. So, in obedience to Psalm 150, I sat down and played for almost an hour. It was wonderful to just have a private time of worship between me and my Savior. I finally felt the release of emotions and the storm began to settle.

Christ speaks many words to us through the scriptures, and they are always the words we need to hear. Maybe today that word is "Peace" or "Wait." Maybe it is "Have Hope," "Be Still," or "It Is Finished." I am thankful for our amazing God who has given us his Word, full of the words of THE WORD who was made flesh.

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