Storms

Thunderstorms can be so interesting to watch. All of that thunder and lightning lighting up the dark sky is another glorious display of God’s work, strength and power. Thunderstorms can also be scary too. The loud booming of the thunder and the crashing of trees to the ground not to mention the howling wind, pounding rain, and rising waters can bring fear and anxiety to anyone. In Psalm 29, David uses a thunderstorm to remind himself of God’s strength and power and he praises him for it. The loud booming thunder of a storm can be heard echoing over the land, lightning is seen flashing across the sky, and off in the distance the wind begins to howl… “The voice of the Lord echoes above the sea. The God of glory thunders. The Lord thunders over the mighty sea. The voice of the Lord is powerful. The voice of the Lord is majestic. The voice of the Lord splits the mighty cedars; the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon’s mountains skip like a calf; he makes Mount Hermon skip like a young wild ox. The voice of the Lord strikes with bolts of lightning. The voice of the Lord makes the barren wilderness quake; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord twists the mighty oaks and strips the forests bare.” (3-9) David uses this illustration to show God’s ultimate power and control over his creation. God completely in control of all that he has created. When storms happen, all of God’s creation is under his control and nothing happens that he hasn’t planned out. The same is true when storms come into our lives. Storms can be very scary. They can uproot your lives and cause you great peril. When the thunder crashes and you lose your job, when the lightning strikes and a family member becomes ill – God is in control. The problem is us. We forget that God is strong and powerful. We forget how mighty to save he really is and we start to trust in our small, weak, sinful selves to handle lives big, powerful storms. I have seen this happen in other people’s lives and I have seen this happen in my very own life when my actions lead to consequences I didn’t like and I took matters into my own hands instead of trusting God to handle it. Folks, God is bigger than ANY problem that could EVER come into your lives. There is NOTHING that scares him. He’s seen it all. He can handle ANYTHING you give him. One of my favorite passages is Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” Notice that last part. “through Christ who strengthens me” See how it doesn’t say anything about going at it alone? Here’s another passage I love found in John 15. Jesus is talking to the disciples about remaining in him, continuing to seek him, to depend on him, and to rely on him. He was talking about their need for him. He says this in verse 5. “Yes, I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them will produce much fruit. FOR APART FROM ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING” Ah, yes. There it is. We can try to handle the storms that life throws our way on our own and in our own strength, but where will that lead us? Frustrated, angry, bitter, depressed, etc… OR We can trust God, who is mighty to save, powerful and more than capable to handle anything, to have control over our circumstances and our lives. He knows the way out of the storm and he knows how to keep us safe. He provides for us all that we need to weather the storm if we trust in him and ask him for it. “The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace” (11)