Episode #55 Finding God in the Chaos- Intentional Living

Hey friends, it's Jen. Thanks for joining me for some Uncommon Conversations with God. Today we're talking about intentional living. God wants to be involved in our day-to-day lives, and we want that too. But oftentimes it can feel like there's a disconnect between wanting to stay connected with God throughout our days and actually knowing how to do that. And so we're going to be exploring how to do that in some really practical, tangible, intentional ways as we go through this series.

And today we're talking about finding God in the midst of chaos. Instead of trying to escape or avoid chaos, we get to explore how we can find God in the midst of it. Now, in today's world, chaos seems to be a pretty constant companion. There is crazy stuff going on whether it's broad scope in the entirety of the world to, our local countries, states, cities, our communities, our neighborhoods, and even within our families. Chaos can feel like a constant companion. And even if we look at the micro level of our own lives and our immediate families, from hectic work schedules to personal struggles, so many things can just feel like chaos.

I know for me, I'm an introvert. And I enjoy quiet. I like to refresh by research and study and I'm a deep thinker. I love to process all sorts of things. And so when I think about chaos, I can even recognize how things feel chaotic just by the level of noise that's going on in my own house.

It's easy to feel overwhelmed and disconnected from God when we consider all of the things that are going on in our days. But what if I told you that God is actually present in the midst of the chaos?

I wrote an article some years ago that was talking about finding God in the midst of the dark tunnels, and I'll find a link and drop it here in the show notes. But the premise that I was talking about began with the quote or the common perspective of seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and I realized, especially when I'm going through chaotic moments or days or prolonged seasons, that I can tend to see Jesus as my light at the end of the tunnel. That if I can only make it through this, if I can only find a way through or problem solve or break free from this chaos, I will get to my Jesus, my light at the end of the tunnel. But the reality is Jesus is our light, and he's our light in the midst of the tunnel. We don't have to wait until we exit the chaos to engage with God. He's actually there with us in it, and he has never meant for us to have to navigate those chaotic circumstances or seasons by ourselves. The verse I'll read for us today is from Isaiah. And it's Isaiah 43. And I'll start in verse 1, reading through the middle of verse 3.

"But now, thus says the Lord, 'he Who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.'"

These promises apply to us today, too. God is our Savior. He is the Holy One who has redeemed us, who has called us by name and said that we are his. And he doesn't say, because you're mine, you won't need to pass through the river. He says, when you pass through the waters, I will be with you. They won't overtake you. They're not going to overwhelm you. when you walk through fire you won't be burned. And we see this on display in the history of the Israelite people, and we see this on display in our own lives. As we reflect back on crazy or chaotic or hectic or difficult seasons in our past, we can see, we are already armed with testimonies about how God has been this way for us. How he is our Savior, who doesn't abandon us.

And so we get to find God in the midst of our chaos. And sometimes seeing him as present here with us is as simple as slowing down enough to look for him. To look around and see where he's at work, to be mindful and to recognize the truth that I'm not alone in this. No matter how crazy or chaotic or painful it feels, God is here with me.

And so now we're going to take this conversation to him and talk with God more about it. And here's today's question:

God, how can I find you in the chaos of my life?

I know he's there with you and he has things he wants to show you.

Have a good talk.

And if you've been encouraged by this content, please share it with a friend and help them grow in their conversational relationship with God too!

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