“Help, Momma, help!” I heard a little voice calling me in desperation from the kitchen. I quickly dropped the laundry I was folding and ran to see what perilous situation my two year old had gotten into. Much to my surprise, she appeared to be in no danger at all. She was standing on a very small step stool leaning against the countertop. “What’s wrong, AudreyKate?” I asked. “Help!” she said again, her little voice filled with fear. And then I saw it. The stool wobbled ever so slightly. One of the legs was marginally shorter than the others; causing a miniscule tilt and making her feel unstable. Before I could say anything to AudreyKate, her little voice repeated words that were about to come out of my mouth, “It’s okay, momma gots you.”

I went back to my laundry pile and thought about her “desperate” situation. She wasn’t really in imminent danger, and yet she felt like she was. In that moment, she needed me. I was her stability. Not only my presence, but also the words I’d spoken to her in the past.

I couldn’t help but apply it to my own life. There are times when I am just like that, wobbling for some little reason and in need of stability. Sometimes the fear and emotions are legitimate, other times, they are negative and sinful patterns of thought.

As women, we are often tempted to be driven by our emotions. We can “feel” so many things. Our language is often littered with “I feel, I felt, I was feeling.” But in times where we are “feeling” a lot, the last thing we need to do is try and steady ourselves with more feelings. That will only lead us into greater despair. In moments of instability (whether caused by circumstances out of our control or our own sinfulness), we need something firm to stand on. We need solid truth.

We need Someone to steady us.

This doesn’t come by just muttering a small prayer, though God can certainly use that. Real change comes from the very words of God. That is how He steadies us and transforms our hearts to rely on Him.

When we feel overwhelmed, we need to open up our Bible to Proverbs 16:9 or Psalm 28:7, where God tells us that He is the one who gives wisdom to make wise decisions and promises to help us in our time of need. When we are tempted to worry, we will find comfort in 1 Peter 5:7, where we are commanded to trust Him. When we feel afraid, we must recall that God is with us and can and will help us as He says Psalm 145:18. When we are grieving, Philippians 4:6-7 and Isaiah 63:9 tell us that God is the comforter and will give us peace as we set our minds on Him and His Word.

When our world is tottering, we need more than an inspirational quote or a watered down paraphrase of a Bible verse. We need something and Someone much stronger than that. We need to go to the source. The solid Rock. And when we meditate and memorize the words of truth, and sometimes even say it aloud, we will be steadied. We will be led to confess our sin. We will find footing during trial. And our roots will grow deep, so that even the strong winds cannot make us wobbly. For “they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint (Is. 40:31).”