How many times have you said it to yourself or to someone close to you, “I’m at my wits’ end”? You feel like you’ve reached your limit. It’s like the fellow who said to a friend of his, “I’m down to my last nerve and you’re on it.”

Did you know the Bible speaks about being at wits’ end? It’s that moment when there seems to be no answers, no solutions, and no way out. Everywhere you turn it is as if you hit a brick wall.

Psalm 107 speaks about men who go down to the sea in ships and do business on great waters (vs. 23). While at sea a raging storm develops that rips into the ship as if it were a toy. The men on board the ship are fearful, tired, and weary. They try everything they know to do to survive, but the raging storm pays no attention. Then at this point the Bible says in verse 27, “Thy reeled and staggered like a drunken man, and were at their wits’ end.” They’ve run out of options and they know they’ve had it.

However, at this point the men did something that turned out to be the smartest thing they ever did: “They cried to the Lord in their trouble.” And, guess what? “He brought them out of their distresses” (Ps. 107:28).

What shall we do at wits’ end? Crash and burn or rise and conquer? Wits’ end may be a real place but it isn’t Lord and, unless we allow it to, it will not have the last word. Remember, this awful place in which to find oneself becomes a means of grace.

There isn’t a storm big enough to shut down God, so rise and conquer.

In these busy times It is a good practice to find ways to slow down a bit, to refresh one’s soul, and to re-energize one’s life. This call isn’t about self-help or self-realization, or positive thinking. This call is about drawing near to God, so near that it might be called spiritual intimacy or closeness.

Psalm 37:34 is a clear and unambiguous word about this kind of intimacy with God. King David says, ‘Wait for the Lord and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.” Here we see that God is at work and that at the right time, when the wicked are cut off, God will show us just how present He has been in the life of His people.

Until that “right time” we are called to wait for the Lord and to Keep His way.” This requires faith on our part and a releasing of our life story into the faithfulness of God. In my spirit can I slow down and wait for God? Can I give myself to be so familiar with His way that I can give myself to living in His way?

Can’t you almost hear the the Holy Spirit saying, “Don’t be rushed and prodded, treated like you are just a number, a face in the crowd. I certainly don’t look at you that way. The world will because it seems to be the only way to conduct business in the busyness of life; but, remember God is present in you, setting the tempo of life. Life may demand busyness of you, but never forget that God is in the midst of His people.”

We are invited to rest in the provisions of God. In your spirit “wait,” in your daily life “Keep His way,” In this place you’ll be okay because God is faithful and He will never forsake you.

Life is filled with challenges, isn’t it? One minute things are fine and then next chaos abounds. Even being a Christian doesn’t protect us from the realities of life. In fact, sometimes following Jesus takes us right into storms. Just ask the disciples. One of their stories is told in Matthew 8:23-27.

Jesus got into a boat one day, the disciples followed Him, and the next thing they know is that they are fighting for their lives in the midst of a storm at sea. They followed Jesus right into chaos.

Does your belief system allow for the fact that sometimes when you follow Jesus it will take you right into a storm? Does your belief system allow for obedience to God not always to be smooth sailing? Does your belief system allow for Jesus to be asleep on the boat in the midst of a storm?

I’m not sure we have Jesus all figured out and I am quite sure that His ways are very different from our ways. Take that storm, for instance. The disciples are panicked in the storm while Jesus naps in the same storm.

Storms come, don’t they; big storms, life threatening storms, unexpected storms. Isn’t it exciting to know that our Lord is so powerful that storms don’t disturb Him. Don’t you find some kind of peace in that scenario? Makes you want to sing, “Be still, my soul, the waves and winds still know His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.”