Lately, one of the songs I’ve really been enjoying is “Peace Be Still” by Seventh Day Slumber and Kutless. I love their version, and the words are powerful. But the more I listen to it, the more I realise why it means so much to me. It feels like worship. It helps me turn my thoughts toward God, especially when I think about difficult times in my life.
Sometimes I’m thinking about things I’ve already been through. Other times, I’m thinking about what’s happening now. There are things on my heart for our children, decisions about work, and questions about what comes next. I don’t have all of those things figured out. I wish I did. But listening to this song brings me comfort in the middle of them.
When I think about what reassures me most, it’s knowing God is with me. That means so much when I’m thinking about something painful, or wondering how a situation is going to work out. I can bring those thoughts to Him. He already knows what’s happening, even when I’m having a hard time putting it into words.
There are times the song brings tears. Sometimes it helps my thoughts settle. Sometimes it helps me pray. Often it’s a bit of all of that. I’m listening to the words, thinking about my own life, and being reminded of the God I belong to. That’s why it feels so personal to me.
The things I’m still carrying
Being a mom gives you plenty to think about. We have five children, all at different stages of life, from adulthood to the younger years. Each of them has their own needs, and I care about what each one is going through. Two are adults now, but that doesn’t mean I stop worrying about them or wanting to help. With all five, there are things I hope for them, things I want them to understand, and things I wish I knew how to handle better.
I love my children, and some of the things that weigh on me most are connected to that love. It’s hard when someone you care about is struggling. It’s hard when you don’t know what to say or what will help. I’m still their mom even when I don’t have an answer. I can care deeply and still reach the end of what I know how to do.
There are parts of family life I want to keep private. I can share that motherhood is sometimes hard without sharing every detail about my children. But I know I’m not the only mom who has concerns she carries with her while she goes about the rest of her day.
Work has been difficult too. I’ve been thinking about my future and what I want to do, while also knowing I have responsibilities to my family. Those decisions carry weight. Wanting something to change doesn’t always make the next step clear, and I find that hard. I want to make good decisions. I want to provide for my family. I want to be wise about what I do next.
Sometimes there’s so much to think about that I don’t know where to start. Family, work, the future, and the ordinary things that still need to get done. I can understand why I need to trust God and still struggle to leave those concerns with Him. Knowing the right thing doesn’t mean I find it easy to do.
This song meets me there. As I listen, I’m reminded that God is present in the things I’m worried about. I don’t have to explain the whole situation perfectly for Him to understand why it hurts or why I’m afraid.
Remembering who was in the boat
The words “Peace, be still” bring me back to the account in Mark 4. Jesus and His disciples were crossing the sea when a great windstorm arose. The waves were breaking into the boat, and the boat was filling. Jesus was asleep.
The disciples woke Him and asked whether He cared that they were perishing. I think about the fear behind that question. They could see the water coming in. They knew they were in danger. And they couldn’t understand how Jesus could be asleep while all of that was happening.
I don’t read that and think I would have handled it better. I know what it’s like to get caught up in what I can see happening in front of me. I know how much space worry can take up when I don’t know what’s going to happen.
Mark 4:39 says, “And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” (ESV)
Jesus had authority over the very thing they were afraid of. After He calmed the storm, He asked them why they were afraid and whether they still had no faith. The disciples were left asking who He was, that even the wind and sea obeyed Him.
That passage gives me a lot to consider. Jesus was with them before the wind stopped. He was there while they were frightened and while they were questioning His care. They had so much more to learn about Him, even though they were already following Him.
I’m still learning too. I believe God is faithful, but I need to be reminded of His faithfulness. I believe He cares for me, but there are days when I need to stop and remember what that means for the particular worry I’m carrying. Reading this passage helps me consider who I’m trusting. My concern may be beyond what I can manage, but I’m bringing it to Jesus.
I also know this passage doesn’t give me a promise that every difficulty will end as quickly as that storm did. There are things I’ve had to live through, and things I’m still working through. I don’t want to pretend that trusting God makes those things painless. But knowing Him gives me someone to turn to in the middle of them.
When Jesus came to them on the water
The chorus reminds me of the account of Jesus walking on the water, especially Peter stepping out of the boat to go to Him:
Peace be still Say the word and I will Set my feet upon the sea Till I'm dancing in the deep
Those words remind me of Peter asking Jesus to call him out onto the water. I think about the trust it took to step out of that boat because Jesus told him to come. The song’s picture of dancing in the deep makes me think about the freedom of trusting Him, even in a place that would normally frighten me. I know the Bible account also tells us that Peter became afraid. That part matters to me too, because I can want to trust God and still find myself overwhelmed by what’s happening around me.
In Matthew 14:22–33, the disciples were out on the sea while Jesus was alone praying. Their boat was being battered by waves, with the wind against them. During the night, Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When they saw Him, they were terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost.
Matthew 14:27 says, “But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.’” (ESV)
That reassurance means so much to me. Jesus made Himself known to them while the wind was still blowing. Before they understood what was happening, He spoke to their fear. It makes me think about what I’ve been trying to put into words about this song. Knowing He is there brings comfort while the situation still feels frightening.
Peter asked Jesus to call him out onto the water, and Jesus told him to come. Peter stepped out of the boat and walked toward Him. But when he noticed the wind, he became afraid and began to sink. He cried out for Jesus to save him, and Jesus immediately reached out and took hold of him. Jesus challenged Peter’s doubt, and when they climbed into the boat, the wind stopped. Those in the boat worshipped Him.
I can understand how Peter became afraid. He had already stepped out in trust, but the wind still frightened him. I know how easily my attention can turn toward everything that might go wrong. I can pray about something and then find myself worrying about it again. That’s something I’m still learning to bring before God.
I’m comforted by the way Jesus reached for Peter. Even while addressing his doubt, He took hold of him. This account helps me remember who I’m turning to when I’m afraid. My own confidence can falter, but Jesus remains the One who has power to save. That gives me reason to keep calling on Him.
When the song becomes a prayer
When I hear “You are here so it is well,” I don’t take that to mean my problems are gone. The things I’m worried about are still there. I still have questions, and there are situations I don’t know how to fix. But His presence brings me peace. I can be well because I know He is with me.
The picture that comes to mind is a boat sitting calmly on the ocean while a storm blows everything around it. That’s the peace I think about when I listen to this song. Life can feel overwhelming, but I have somewhere to bring my fear. God knows what’s happening. He knows what it means to me. And knowing He is there brings comfort, even while I’m still waiting to see how things will work out.
There is reassurance in that, and there is worship too. I’m thinking about who God is and what He has done. I’m remembering that He’s worthy of my trust, even where I don’t understand. The song gives me words to respond to Him when my own thoughts feel tangled.
When I look back at hard times, I’m grateful I can bring those memories to Him as well. Some things are still tender to think about. I don’t need to make every part of my story sound resolved before I can thank God for being with me through it. There can be gratitude and tears in the same moment.
And when I think about what’s happening now, I need that same reassurance. God knows my children. He knows what work has been like. He knows the decisions I’m trying to make and the things I haven’t said out loud. I can talk to Him about all of it.
I’m grateful that worship can happen in a moment like that. I can come to Him feeling worried, with questions still on my mind. I can sing words of trust while asking Him to help me trust. I’m not claiming I’ve learned to do this perfectly. I’m thankful He gives me reasons to keep turning toward Him.
If you’ve been carrying concerns for your children, struggling through work, or thinking about something you don’t know how to change, maybe you understand why a song like this can mean so much. Sometimes you hear words you’ve heard before, but they reach you differently because of what you’re going through.
That’s what “Peace Be Still” has been for me. Comfort when I remember the past. Reassurance when I think about today. Words that help me pray and worship while I’m still working through things.
I still want answers to some of my questions. I still hope for change in some areas of my life. But I’m grateful for the reminder that God is with me right here. He knows what I’m facing, and I can keep bringing it to Him.
Listen to “Peace Be Still” by Seventh Day Slumber and Kutless.
