When the alarm on my phone blared loud, the teenagers were just finishing up the third meal in a long-anticipated marathon of movies and food. The last thing anyone expected was a tornado.
There were eight of us – seven teens plus me, their adult chaperone and meal manager. Our minds had been on the next movie, but now a tornado was heading right toward us and we had to figure out where to squeeze eight people.
There was no safe place with only interior walls that would fit all of us, so we had to separate. The five girls went into the walk-in pantry, the two boys into a coat closet, and I shoe-horned into a small closet of shelves that gave me just enough room to stand.
I have never been separated from my kids during a tornado warning. I knew my daughter would be anxious, and I wasn’t there to help calm her, to pray with her. So I started texting. For thirty minutes the three closets communicated via smart phone.
Abiding in His Word
To abide means to remain, and while you can not literally read God’s Word every moment of every day, every choice you make to fill your mind with scripture allows it to take hold deep within.
You can bring His Word into your day through reading, studying, memorizing, putting scriptures up around your house or listening to scripture-based music. Even just pondering a verse is filling your mind with truth.
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3
While we could have looked up scriptures on our phones while we were in those closets, the verses that came to mind were scriptures we had read many times, studied, and even memorized. A steady diet of God’s Word as our spiritual food had saturated our minds with truth.
Truth Brings Peace of Mind
So often our greatest fears are of the unknown. Deep peace comes when we speak truths that are known and eternal. Jesus said:
Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. John 17:17
When we are anxious, when we don’t even know how to pray, we can pray God’s Word.
The peace of God is not circumstantial. You can literally be in the eye of the storm and know His peace. God’s peace is supernatural and beyond human comprehension.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
Thankfully, the house we were in was not hit by a tornado. But the volume of rain was record-breaking, and the Central Texas area continues to be deeply affected by both tornadoes and flooding.
Peace Scriptures to Memorize
If you have not practiced the discipline of scripture memorization, I urge you to give it a try! You can join our Hide His Word facebook community for support and ideas for memorizing. Here are some scripture about peace to consider committing to memory:
– Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7-8
– I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. John 16:33
– Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
– In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8
– For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you. Isaiah 54:10
– You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3
– And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. Colossians 3:15
We continue to abide in God’s Word because we know that what we can truly count on is that which is eternal. The storms may come and go at any time, but His Word stands!
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. Isaiah 40:8
Having sat through many tornado warnings myself, I really appreciate you sharing this, Patti. Having verses already hidden in my heart has been such a blessing not only in those intense moments but in the everyday ones too. I’ve never regretted knowing any verses I’ve spent time memorizing. God’s Spirit breathing through the words keep them alive for me.
His Word is living and active! I shared this with a fellowship group I’m part of on facebook. We continue to pray for you and everyone in Central Texas.