“The LORD is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.” Psalm 118:14 (NLT)

Right now, where I live in the U.S., it’s the season of fall carnivals and county fairs. I’m all about the rides, games and food: funnel cake, cotton candy, and pretty much any charbroiled meat on a stick. Stand in line to see a life-size heifer sculpted from butter? I’m in! 

It reminds me of a time when life seemed simpler. In my childhood, I loved the breathtaking views from the top of the Ferris wheel. And in the padded seat of the silver Scrambler ride, my heart raced with excitement as I pulled the safety bar close and tight. I was sometimes an anxious rider.

“Did it click?” I’d ask the person next to me. “I don’t think I heard it click.”

My favorite ride on the carnival midway was the Tilt-a-Whirl, a bright red contraption consisting of individually spinning cars on a rotating platform (yes, that’s two different kinds of spinning at the same time!). I think I liked it so much because it was also a ride I could somewhat control.

How fast we went was not just up to the carnival guy with long hair and the hula-girl tattoo. Any seasoned fairgoer knows that to make your car rotate faster, you have to lean into the spin. That’s the thrill of the ride on a three-ticket adventure.

But what do we do when the whirling circumstances we find ourselves in are much more serious? When they’re not just timed rides guaranteed to end soon if we keep our eyes closed and hold on tight a little longer?

There is no forward motion when we lean hard and fast into drama, stress and the out-of-control conflicts in our lives. There’s no victory in impulsive emotional reactions that only leave us feeling dizzy, ashamed and apologetic.

But one of the greatest benefits of knowing Jesus is the way His peace, so divinely written into the pages of Scripture, can bring calm into the chaos that keeps us spinning.

For me, something finally clicked when I found refuge in God’s Word:

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take” (Proverbs 3:5-6, NLT).

“I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces” (Psalm 34:4-5, NLT).

Life isn’t always fair … or like a county fair. But God is not a God of fear or confusion, and we can choose to respond to the tilt and whirl of unpredictable circumstances in a way that represents Christ at work in us. We can choose to leave the spin and lean into Him.

“The LORD is my strength and my song; he has given me victory” (Psalm 118:14).

Dear Lord, thank You for showing me that when I truly lean into You, I can experience the amazing joy of Your presence and peace, regardless of life's circumstances that are sometimes beyond my control. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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FOR DEEPER STUDY

Psalm 91:1-2, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust’” (NIV).

What’s one thing you often think about until it wears you out? How can you give that to God today? Let us know in the comments — and as you do, take refuge by filling your heart and mind with God’s Word that is good and lovely. And be at peace.

© 2024 by Tina Fisher. All rights reserved.