As I write this post on Sunday evening the television is
broadcasting horrible images of tornado damage in the heartland
of the United States.
I've never actually seen a tornado in person.
I hope that I never do.
But, with technology today we can get a closer look
than ever before.
The Bible refers to many storms.
There was poor Jonah...
on his way to escape a direct command from God
when a huge storm got in the way.
Oops!
Wrong move, Jonah.
That cost him three days in the belly of a fish
AND he still had to complete the mission.
(Perhaps we should learn from this lesson)
Paul was shipwrecked in a storm
that probably should have taken his life.
But he survived to minister some more.
Jesus calmed a storm with a very simple
instruction.....He spoke, it obeyed.
Storms.
They are a part of our reality.
Both the kind with wind and rain
and the kind that happens in our hearts
when our marriages struggle,
our children wander or
we suffer a job loss.
But here is another reality.
Something we observe in the storm "stories"
we read in the Word of God.
As powerful as these storms are,
HE is more powerful.
As alone as we may feel in the midst of the storm,
we are not alone.
He is there with us.
Storms tend to cleanse the atmosphere.
They leave behind brilliant sunshine and often times
stunning rainbows.
One of the best known storms of our world history
occurred pretty early on.
Only Noah and his family survived that one to see
the rainbow promise.
Storms in our lives may make us doubt our ability to go on.
We may be panicked like the disciples in the boat before Jesus miraculously
appeared to them as He walked on the waves.
However, Since we know that God is unchanging we must
believe that just as He walked to the disciples in that storm
He will walk with us in our troubled times.
I'm sure we will all be in prayer for those who have lost
so much in the tornadoes referenced at the beginning
of this post.
Also, we continue to pray that the people of the Philippines
will be able to get the help they need both physically
and spiritually after the typhoon that was so
decimating.
Even so, let us pray for those around us who are
enduring storms of emotion or life events.
May we always remember that none of this catches our
Heavenly Father by surprise.
And He is way more powerful than the strongest
of those storms.
He is at work in every situation.
Hugs,
Becky - Good Neighbors Candle
6:09 AM |
Category:
castteam,
Jonah,
Monday Devotion,
paul,
peace,
peace in the storm,
Philippine Typhoon,
storms,
walk on water
|
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comments
Comments (2)
A great reminder that we are not alone in the storms of this life. Thanks!
So true, Becky. There was a beautiful rainbow here after last night's storm and in some places a double rainbow. I didn't see the rainbow but my grandkids took pictures. Also the sunset was just beautiful. This morning it is sunny and clear. But while we have no damage, I am reminded that this morning some are waking to the reality that they have nothing left but hopefully their loved ones.
And we are coming to a season of thankfulness and then Christmas when so many suffer an emotional storm of missing someone who has died.
It's good to remember we are not alone and God knows the ending and is in control. Thanks!