You know that tall, waving tube man that appears at car lots from time to time? That thin, inflatable, endlessly smiling, plastic puppet reminds me of the emotions I experience when I get caught up in the latest news. Like that “tube man”, I feel my emotions go up high, or slightly bent forward, at a sideways angle or at times circling around not knowing where I should land with my fears as well as tears.

• “Fentanyl killing our youth” – Helpless and down

• “A young man rescues a carload of people from drowning by jumping into cold water.” – Hopeful and up

• “Illegal immigrants crossing the border by the thousands.” – Weary and sideways

• “Ukrainian refugees find homes in our county.” – Relief. Back up again.

• “Parents question the school board over ‘Critical Race Theory’ teachings.” – Suspicion and circling

• “Jesus loves me, this I know…” – Joy! Both hands straight up!

Unemployment, parents abandoning children, abortion, politics, trials, mass shootings, sexual identity, “brain-eating amoeba” found in fresh water, food shortages, new strains of COVID-19, shark attacks, and whole church denominations confronting stories of ignored abuse. So much to take in.

That solitary tube man also reminds me of the loneliness that many are experiencing. A recent online article: “How to Be Happy Alone: Ten Ways to Become Your Own Best Friend” offered these solutions for loneliness: get out and experience nature, volunteer, stop comparing yourself to others, live in the moment, and my choice, bake or buy your favorite cake and eat it yourself. Several practical suggestions, but nothing that deals with the real issue of loneliness that comes from an emptiness inside our souls. Fears and loneliness can go hand-in-hand when we are bombarded with constant bad news.

These past few months, the words in Psalm 46 keep resonating in my head. “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10 in the Living Bible translation reads: “Enough!” Through these words, I have found the joy that only comes when I “soak” in the God Who is still in charge.

At one point, I had written the words, “A Psalm of Confidence” beside Psalm 46 in my Bible. It no doubt came from a commentary or study. Every time I read Psalm 46; I gain confidence. But it is not confidence in me or in the hope that an online article attempts to offer. Hope comes from remembering again and again.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth gives way, and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” – Psalm 46:1-3

(Which reminds me that I did not list earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, snowstorms, or drought in the list of bad news.) But, nevertheless, God knows our emotions, and He is our safe refuge, our strength when we fall, and our help in seeking and seeing His Way for us.

Richard Foster said, “Loneliness is inner emptiness.” Madeleine L’Engle wrote that we desire “The deepest communion with God that is beyond words.” We were not designed to have empty souls. We were designed to have “communion with our Holy God.” Our confidence. Our hope. Our reason for lifting our hands in praise. It comes from taking time (one minute, five minutes, or twenty-five minutes) to focus on KNOWING/soaking in and in exalting or recognizing that God IS… all we need. And so much more. The more I praise Him, the more I want to praise Him. There is no substitute for spending time with God.

We get to know God through reading His Words in the Bible, by saying those words back to Him: “God, I believe you are my hiding place, my refuge, my strength. I believe that you will be with me/us in times of trouble…” We cannot know all there is to know of a person, and neither can we know all there is to know of our great God. But it is for our good that we know as many of His attributes as we can during this brief time on Earth.

Right when I feel as though the world is out of control, I remember verse 10 again, “I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth. God will be exalted above all things whether I choose to exalt Him or not.” Romans 14:9-11 is about the Power of Jesus who died and rose from the grave. We will then be judged according to how we judge others. And, in the end, every single knee will bow, and every single tongue will confess that God is the Sovereign Lord. We will be in total awe when we come face-to-face before Him! We will regret our short time on Earth if we do not lift our hands in praise to Him, today.

When I drive by a tube man, I remember that he is not capable of bending his knees… not just because he doesn’t have knees, but because he is not real! He can only bend over, sideways, or backward. But I am privileged to be able to literally or figuratively bend my knees to our Holy God when I ask the Spirit to lead me to be still and know that God knows all about what is going on in this world, and in the end, He will show us what we cannot yet see. But we can know that He is still in charge, and we are never alone when we seek His Presence.