Happy Monday! I awoke with this thought on my mind: “To believe in God is to know He is always fair, but there will be many surprises.”
“It’s Hard to Look At” was the headline in our local paper last week, referring to the devastation of the tornadoes that occurred.
In our lives, storms will certainly come. Maybe you are in your own personal storm today. Could it be just a fog of anxiety or another nagging concern? I have learned that a dense fog that covers seven blocks is comprised of only one cup of water; but, oh, the havoc it can cause! It might be that you see that storm cloud that cannot be avoided—foreclosure, marital problems, loss of health, or the wayward child.
Maybe today, the storm is RAGING! Perhaps it is a deep pain, either physical or emotional. The Bible tells us that the whole creation groans in pain in Romans 8:22, but in verse 26, we find that the Holy Spirit groans in intercession for us. You are on God’s prayer list!
Someone has said, “A bird doesn’t sing because he has a reason, but he sings because he has a song.” There may not be a reason for us to sing today. However, we have a song that says, “His Grace is Sufficient for Me.” Sing it!
So many kinds of storms come. There is the storm of fear. How many times are we told in the Bible to not fear, have hope, or trust in God? I am sure there are as many Bible promises on this subject as there are days in a year. That gives us the chance to read at least one promise every single day without starting over until next year!
A broken relationship can be such a violent storm; it brings a feeling of being alone. Hebrews 13:5 says, …I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Then there are times when the tears flow uncontrollably. Weeping may endure for a time, but joy will come again, always. (Psalm 30:5)
God tells us in Psalm 84 that when we pass through (notice the word through) the valley of Baca (a place of weeping) to make a well that will be a reminder to us that God will turn mourning into dancing and gladness.
Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools. – Psalms 84:5-6
Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; – Psalms 30:11
Read the words of a very old hymn, written by C. A. Tindley:
“When the storms of life are raging,
Stand by me;
When the storms of life are raging,
Stand by me;
When the world is tossing me
Like a ship upon the sea,
Thou Who rulest wind and water,
Stand by me.”
Indeed, He will! We have a STRONG Storm Shelter. Isaiah 4:6 says we have a covert (covering, hiding place) from storm and rain. It will withstand any storm!
by Beverly Hyles
From the Mondays with Beverly blog. Reprinted with permission.
