When you have no more words left to pray, picture Jesus speaking peace into your life right now. Listen to him, be still, and enjoy the calm.
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with a song for your soul.
(Joni sings:)
Be still my soul the Lord is on thy side
Bare patiently the cross of grief or pain
Leave to thy God to order and provide
In every change the faithful will remain.
Be still my soul thy best, thy heavenly friend
Through thorny ways leads to the joyful land.
I remember shortly after my diving accident, years ago when I was in the hospital, long after visiting hours were over and the nurses had turned out the lights, in the dark, depressing, mad midnight moments, I would sing this hymn. I'd learned it while I was in high school. I couldn't remember all of the verses, but I knew enough to sing and rehearse at least the first verse. And God would use the words of this beautiful old hymn, “Be Still My Soul”, to quiet my troubled heart. “Be still my soul, the Lord is on thy side.” I'd say to myself, “Bear patiently, the cross of grief and pain.”
When I sang that hymn, when I rehearsed those words, God quieted my soul. It was no surprise to me, really, because if Jesus could quiet the stormy seas, then certainly he could quiet my troubled heart. You know that story from Mark 4 where Jesus was in a boat and a furious storm came up on the lake. The waves broke over the boat so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said, “Teacher, don't you care if we drown?” He got up then and rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Peace, quiet, be still.” And the wind died down and it was completely calm.
Can't you just picture Jesus speaking that kind of peace into some troubled situation in your life right now? Perhaps you have no more words to pray – your heart is being wrung out like a sponge as you wrestle with a fresh diagnosis of cancer, or a spouse that has left you or your electricity has been cut off because the bills didn’t get paid, because yet again you were let go of a job. Maybe you don’t even have the strength to sing those words to your soul. But Jesus does have that strength. Friend, Jesus is there with you; he understands, he gets it, he resonates with it. And he is standing there beside you as you cry your eyes out, saying to your restless circumstances, your troubled heart, “Quiet, peace, be still.” Will you listen to the soothing words of your Savior?
As a word of encouragement, let me read the final verse of this hymn, “Be Still My Soul.” I just love this verse, it says, “Be still my soul. The Lord doth undertake to guide the future as he has the past. Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake. All now mysterious shall be bright at last. Be still my soul. The wind and the waves still know his voice who ruled them when he dwelt below.” Listen to Jesus, be still, and feel your fears die down quiet and enjoy the calm.
© Joni and Friends