Finding Peace When Life Still Feels Chaotic

This week, I started a new study on RightNow Media called Hallelujah Anyhow: Finding Peace in the Psalms, and friends, it is already speaking directly to my heart. (it even comes with a great study guide ;). This is a Psalms Devotion and Psalm 3 really connected with me. I love all the references in the Bible around finding peace in the chaos. Isn’t that what our life is these days?

The study dives into seven Psalms and explores what they can teach us about finding peace—not necessarily when life is peaceful, but right in the middle of the hard stuff.

And isn’t that where we really need peace?

The Psalms are part of the largest book in the Bible, and I love how real they are. There is praise and worship, yes. But there is also fear. Anger. Grief. Confusion. Questions. Waiting. Trust.

Basically, real life. And this week, Psalm 3 stopped me in my tracks.

When You Can’t Turn Your Mind Off

Those of you who have been following me for a while know that our family has been walking through a heartbreaking situation for the past two or three years. I don’t share all the details here because they aren’t all mine to share. But I do share pieces of my journey because maybe someone reading this is walking through something difficult too.

And one of the things I have struggled with is sleep.

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night and your brain immediately remembers everything you’re worried about?

Yep. Me too.

The conversations. The what-ifs. The things I wish I could fix. The things I wish were different. The things I simply don’t understand. Then I got to Psalm 3.

“I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me. I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.” — Psalm 3:5–6

David was surrounded by trouble. His circumstances were far from peaceful. And yet…David slept. That really got me.

The lesson explained that rest is a consequence of confident trust in God. David could close his eyes because he understood something I am still learning:

The Lord is the real protector of my life.

I don’t have to stay awake trying to solve what God already has in His hands.

Sometimes I Surrender It. Sometimes I Pick It Back Up.

So now, when I wake up during the night and my mind starts going, I pray. I ask God to help me let it go. To surrender it. To trust Him with it. And to go back to sleep. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t. I’m still learning.

And maybe that’s important to say because surrender isn’t always a one-and-done thing for me. Sometimes I give something to God at 10:00 and take it right back at 2:00 in the morning. 🤣

But I’m learning to recognize it sooner.

Lord, I gave this to You. Help me leave it with You.

A Little Reflection

When worry wakes you up—or keeps you awake—what is the first thing you reach for?

Your phone? Your own solutions? The worst-case scenario? Or God?

What might change if your first response became, “God, this is Yours. Help me rest.”?

But What About Justice?

There’s another part of this that has been difficult for me.

I want justice. There. I said it.

When you believe something is wrong, when you’ve watched people you love get hurt, or when you’ve experienced something that feels deeply unfair, it’s natural to want someone held accountable.

I’ve wrestled with wanting to fix it. Correct it. Expose it. Make someone understand. Make it right.

But then Psalm 3 continues:

“Arise, Lord! Deliver me, my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people.” — Psalm 3:7–8

David didn’t pretend that what was happening was okay. He cried out to God about it.

But ultimately, he put justice in God’s hands.

That is a big lesson for me. I don’t have to be the judge. I don’t have to make sure everyone gets what I think they deserve. I don’t have to orchestrate the ending. It’s not my circus (as one of my favorite humans tells me all the time!) We just had a conversation this past weekend with our Pastor and his wife about vengeance. Specifically Romans 12:19 “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord”. Hmmmm….fitting!

God sees what I don’t see. He knows what I don’t know. And He can bring justice in ways I never could.

That doesn’t mean we never establish boundaries, speak truth, seek help, or do what is right. It means I don’t have to carry vengeance in my own heart.

I can give that to God too.

His will. Not mine.
His timing. Not mine.

Calm Can Confront Chaos

One of the thoughts from this study that has stayed with me is that our darkest moments can become opportunities for the enemy to attack our confidence and expectation in God.

When everything around us feels chaotic, we can begin wondering:

Where are You, God?

Why haven’t You fixed this?

Why is this still happening?

When will this end?

I’ve asked those questions.

But I’m beginning to understand that peace doesn’t always come because God removes the turmoil.

Sometimes peace comes because God changes us while we’re standing in the middle of it.

Sometimes life isn’t what it seems.

Sometimes the story isn’t finished.

Sometimes the answer is still coming.

And sometimes our job is simply to allow God’s calm to confront the chaos.

My Journey Is Young, But My Faith Is Growing

I’m still learning. I’m still asking questions. I’m still waking up some nights. I’m still tempted to grab things back after I’ve surrendered them. I’m still learning to trust God’s justice instead of trying to create my own.

But I can also see growth. The more I sit with God, the more I learn His Word. The more I learn His Word, the more I understand His character. And the more I understand His character, the easier it becomes to trust Him—even when I don’t understand what He’s doing.

My journey may still be young, but my faith is getting stronger. Maybe that’s what spiritual growth looks like. Not having all the answers. Not never worrying. Not never hurting.

But learning, little by little, to say:

Lord, I don’t understand this.
I don’t know how this ends.
I can’t fix it.
But I trust You anyhow.

Hallelujah anyhow!!

Let’s Reflect Together

Is there something happening in your life right now that is stealing your peace?

Maybe it’s keeping you awake at night.

Maybe you’re waiting for justice.

Maybe you’re frustrated because God hasn’t answered a prayer the way you expected.

Maybe you’re simply tired of carrying it.

What would it look like to place that situation in God’s hands today—and leave it there?

And if you pick it back up tomorrow?

Give it back again.

We’re learning.

We’re growing.

We’re trusting.

One surrender at a time.

A Prayer for Peace

Father,

Thank You for reminding us that peace doesn’t depend on peaceful circumstances. When our minds race and our hearts hurt, help us remember that You are still our protector.

When worry wakes us, teach us to pray.

When we want control, teach us to surrender.

When we want justice on our terms, remind us that You see everything and that judgment belongs to You.

Help us trust Your will and Your timing, even when we don’t understand either one.

Let Your calm confront the chaos in our lives. Strengthen our faith through Your Word and remind us that we don’t have to know how the story ends to trust the One writing it.

Today, we give You the things we cannot fix.

And if we pick them back up tomorrow, gently remind us to surrender them again.

Hallelujah anyhow.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

Note: If you want to learn more about Psalms, check this out.