I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:2)

Target run. Check! Enormous amounts of coffee. Check! A map of campus so you don’t get lost on your way to class. Check!

Everything seems to be in order for the first week.

But make sure you schedule time for a heart check.

In the unbelievable chaos of the first week of school, it is easy to push some things to the side. You are seeing new people, reuniting with old friends, getting posters thrown at you from every single angle. Mom is calling you to make sure that your roommates aren’t too crazy and that you have enough to eat. (Mom, have you seen the new Lopes Way?)

But most importantly, you are learning how to get from The Grove to your class in the new CSET building without looking like you just ran a marathon.

This first week gets a little crazy. But a good crazy, of course. In all of this, we have to remember to pause. Hit that pause button and breathe. Take time to check where you’re at. Make sure to find solitude and shelter in our Heavenly Father.

During these first few weeks, when it feels like the chaos is too much, when you get overwhelmed with people and there are few places of peace, rest in the truth of Psalm 91:2.

The Lord is our refuge. He is the constant and consistent place of refuge and safety. The Lord can be fully trusted in when we are need of retreat.

Make sure to check your heart and know where to run to. Keep checking in to make sure that the busyness of the new semester doesn’t drown you—the Lord is always your constant; rest and trust in that.

That’s our prayer for you this week—that as you go and live a busy semester, you are able to rest in God, day by day, minute by minute.

Looking for more motivation to start the new semester? Check out GCU President Brian Mueller’s Chapel message from earlier this week. Learn more about spiritual life at GCU by visiting our website.