How to Have Confidence in Crisis

Devotional

Day 1: The Secret River Beneath Jerusalem’s Siege

When crisis surrounds like invading armies, God provides hidden sustenance. Just as Hezekiah’s tunnel channeled life-giving water to Jerusalem during siege, the Spirit’s “river of living water” flows unseen to sustain believers. This provision isn’t always obvious—like underground streams cutting through bedrock—but it nourishes precisely when all seems cut off. Trust grows when we trace the Source of this strength rather than fixating on visible threats. [01:14:29]

“Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. (John 7:38–39, ESV)

Reflection: What “siege” are you facing where God might be providing in unseen ways? How can you shift focus from the threat to the hidden stream of His Spirit?

Day 2: “Be Still” as a Divine Rebuke to Stormy Hearts

“Be still” isn’t a spa-day mantra but a command to cease spiritual thrashing. Like Jesus rebuking the Galilee storm, God addresses our panicked hearts: “Why are you afraid?” The crisis itself becomes a classroom where we learn His authority over chaos. Stillness here means surrendering our right to understand, replacing “What if?” with “Even if.” [01:17:49]

He said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” (Mark 4:39–40, ESV)

Reflection: Where is your heart “thrashing” instead of trusting? What would it look like to let Christ’s rebuke become your reassurance today?

Day 3: God in the Boat of Your Crisis

Jesus slept in the storm-tossed boat not from indifference but to test where the disciples placed their confidence. Every crisis asks: “Is God’s presence enough when He seems passive?” The answer comes not in calmed circumstances but in recognizing Immanuel—the God who enters our sinking ships rather than keeping us from them. [01:13:17]

A great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. (Mark 4:37–38, ESV)

Reflection: What current “storm” makes you question God’s awareness? How might His presence in the boat change your posture toward the waves?

Day 4: Chronic Crisis and the Discipline of “Selah”

Ancient worshippers paused at “Selah” to let truth sink deeper than their panic. Chronic suffering—like recurring illness or unresolved grief—requires this spiritual rhythm: crisis, pause, praise, repeat. It’s not denial but defiant worship, tuning our instruments mid-storm to play the next stanza with steadier hands. [01:10:57]

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock. (Isaiah 26:3–4, ESV)

Reflection: What ongoing trial needs a “Selah pause” today? Write one truth about God to dwell on during this pause.

Day 5: When Crisis Forces You Into Christ’s Arms

Joni Eareckson Tada’s wheelchair became her throne—a place to reign with Christ through surrendered dependence. Suffering strips illusions of self-sufficiency, making God’s embrace our only viable shelter. The worst crises become gifts when they bind us to His scars, proving His strength perfect in our collapse. [01:29:10]

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV)

Reflection: What weakness or loss could become your “throne” of dependence? How might clinging to Christ here glorify Him more than deliverance would?

Sermon Summary

Psalm 46 meets people in those “oh no” moments when the call comes, the diagnosis is confirmed, the accident happens, or the future suddenly looks impossible. The psalm rises out of Jerusalem surrounded by Sennacherib’s army, after Judah’s cities had fallen and 185,000 troops had laid siege to the city. Hezekiah received letters meant to crush his confidence, and God seemed silent. Yet Hezekiah did not fake strength. He laid the letters before the Lord, wept, and cried out.

God answered with a promise that Sennacherib would not enter Jerusalem, and Isaiah penned confidence before he knew exactly how deliverance would come. Psalm 46 therefore gives solid ground for faith in the space between God’s promise and God’s visible answer. Selah calls God’s people to stop, reflect on what has been sung, lift their hands, and say, “Amen, I believe it,” before moving forward.

God’s presence stands first: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” God remains in the cancer diagnosis, the loss, the panic, and the uncertainty. Christ was in the boat when the waves were crashing, and whatever He allows, He is in the boat. Fear loses its claim when God’s presence becomes more real than the crisis.

The river in Psalm 46 points to God’s provision. Hezekiah’s hidden tunnel brought life-giving water into Jerusalem while the enemy waited outside the walls. The Holy Spirit likewise supplies a hidden source of strength within God’s children. God is not only strong for His people; He is strong in them, giving sustaining grace when there appears to be no way out.

God’s past works also steady the heart. His track record is good, even when His answers do not follow human plans. “Be still and know that I am God” is not merely a gentle phrase for quiet moments. God sometimes rebukes a restless heart that keeps resisting His plan and says, “Look at me. I’m here. I’ve got a plan.”

Trust means believing God’s Word and acting upon it no matter how feelings are screaming, knowing God promises a good result. Anxiety cannot be dealt with only at the surface, because panic and racing thoughts grow from fears that have become bigger than God. God’s Word must become the loudest voice in the mind. Crisis gets better with more, not less, of Jesus, and suffering can force a soul into the arms of Christ.

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Key Takeaways

1. God is present in trouble [01:12:09] God does not stand at a safe distance from suffering. His presence does not always remove the storm immediately, but it means the storm never has the final word. Christ’s nearness gives the believer ground to stand when explanations have not yet come. [72:09]
2. Selah interrupts fearful reactions [01:13:44] Selah creates a holy pause between crisis and reaction. God’s truth must be remembered, meditated on, and praised before fear takes control of the heart. That pause does not deny pain; it places pain beneath what God has already said. [73:44]
3. The Spirit supplies hidden strength [01:15:32] God’s provision often works like Hezekiah’s tunnel: real, life-giving, and unseen by the enemy. The Holy Spirit gives strength from within when circumstances offer no visible escape route. God’s children are not sustained by natural toughness but by divine life flowing through them. [75:32]
4. Trust acts beyond changing feelings [01:21:15] Trust is more than agreeing that God is trustworthy. Trust acts on His Word while the heart is still shaking and the outcome remains uncertain. God calls His people to obey what is true rather than follow whatever fear is saying. [81:15]
5. Crisis can force souls toward Christ [01:29:10] Suffering can become an advantage when it drives a person into Christ’s arms instead of into self-reliance. God does not waste the hard things He permits. His purpose reaches beyond relief, aiming to glorify Himself and draw others to the Savior.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[64:08] - The “Oh No” Moments of Life
[65:18] - Confidence in the Middle of Crisis
[66:35] - Jerusalem Surrounded by Sennacherib
[68:28] - Hezekiah Lays the Letters Before God
[69:12] - Psalm 46 and God’s Promise
[70:33] - Selah: Pause and Believe
[71:43] - Confidence Through God’s Presence
[74:04] - The River and God’s Provision
[76:18] - Be Still and Know God
[80:56] - Trusting God’s Promises
[82:10] - A Personal Crisis and Panic
[84:52] - Following God’s Commands
[85:57] - Treating Fear at Its Root
[88:33] - More Jesus in the Crisis

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Psalm 46
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire. 'Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!' The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah” [01:03:48]

Isaiah 26:3-4
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.” [01:26:15]

Isaiah 37:33-35
“Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow there or come before it with a shield or cast up a siege mound against it. By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, declares the LORD. For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.” [01:09:19]

Observation questions

In Psalm 46, what images are used to describe the kinds of dangers God’s people may face, and what does the psalm repeatedly say about God in the middle of them?
What did Hezekiah do with Sennacherib’s threatening letters when Jerusalem was surrounded, and what does that reveal about his response to fear? [01:08:28]
What role does the river play in Psalm 46, and how does Hezekiah’s tunnel help explain why water was so important during a siege? [01:14:15]
In Psalm 46:8–11, what past works of God are remembered before the command to be still? [01:16:18]

Interpretation questions

Psalm 46 calls God “a very present help in trouble.” How does that truth differ from the idea that God will always remove trouble immediately? [01:12:05]
Why might the pauses marked by Selah have helped Israel respond to danger with faith rather than with panic? What does it mean to affirm God’s truth before seeing the outcome? [01:10:33]
Psalm 46:10 is often understood as a quiet invitation, but its setting includes God confronting restless resistance. How can “be still” be both a word of comfort and a call to stop fighting God’s plan? [01:17:41]
Isaiah 26:3–4 connects peace with a mind fixed on God. Why is addressing the fear beneath anxiety more important than only trying to stop anxious feelings? [01:25:32]

Application questions

What is an “oh no” situation currently facing you or someone close to you? What would it look like to bring that situation honestly before God instead of pretending to be stronger than you are? [01:08:28]
When fear begins to take over, what truths about God’s presence are easiest for you to forget? How might remembering that Christ is “in the boat” change your next response? [01:12:58]
What could a personal Selah pause look like this week—perhaps before sending a difficult message, reacting to bad news, or making a fearful decision? What truth from Scripture do you need to stop and praise God for? [01:13:26]
Where do you most need to depend on God’s hidden provision rather than your own toughness, planning, or ability to control the outcome? [01:15:32]
Is there a fear that has become bigger in your mind than God’s power or goodness—fear of loss, rejection, illness, failure, or an uncertain future? How can Isaiah 26:3–4 help you bring that fear into the light? [01:26:15]
What is one specific way you can act on God’s Word this week even if your feelings have not caught up—such as praying honestly, obeying a command, asking for help, or choosing gratitude? [01:21:15]
How might God use a hardship not only to draw you closer to Christ, but also to show others that His grace is real? [01:29:10]

Sermon Clips

46s

“He's beside you. He is with you even though you don't hear him. Even though he's silent right now. So if God is with you, then that means that fear is irrational. Have you made fun of the disciples in the boat on the Sea Of Galilee before? Jesus was in the boat with them. Waves are crashing, and it says they feared they were gonna die, but Jesus was in the boat. Brother and sister, whatever he allows in your life, he's in the boat. He is there. He's got it under his control. So, you must not succumb to distrusting God no matter what he is allowing in your life.”

35s

“When you have a no no moment, Selah, pause. Take a moment to reflect on the truth that you've been reading in his word or truth that he's given you through the years that are your bedrock of your faith when times like this happens. Meditate on that. Think about that. But before you get up and react to that crisis, praise God for his truth. Then that gives you that confidence to move into the crisis calmly.”

38s

“If you're in a crisis this morning, just two steps as we close. Two action steps. Number one, trust his promises. Very, very simple, but very few of us actually do this. Trust his promises. Definition of trust that I have come to love is this. Trust is believing the word of God. But then it means acting upon it. No matter how I feel, knowing that God promises a good result.”

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