Friends
Into each life, some rain must fall and still we are shocked when the storm clouds come. Yet, we are not alone in the storms. Our God is always with us and He will see us through the coming clouds.
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Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6 – NIV
Granny stood at the kitchen window peering out at the darkening sky. Hands on her hips, she shook her head in dismay, revealing a mixture of concern and disgust, “Law, it’s coming up a cloud!”
For my grandmother, “a cloud” was Southern speak for a thunderstorm. What’s more, you knew you were in big trouble if she turned to you and said, “Law, it’s coming up a bad cloud!”
Friends, the written word cannot fully covey the anxious intonation that accompanied those few choice words of my grandmother. Truly, Granny could make the one syllable word, “bad”, stretch out to three syllables with a tone that suggested unheralded gloom and doom was about to rain down upon us. When she said it was “coming up a bad cloud”, you had best be finding some cover.
My Granny hated storms. They frightened her, always threatening power loss or property damage in her mind. It was not unusual for her to seek a place of safety during a storm. She preferred to ride out the weather, safely nestled under the covers in her small bed in the tiny back room. With only one window in that long, narrow room, I think she felt safe from the elements.
Life is full of storms. One minute, we are basking in the sunshine, not a care in the world. Things are going along as planned. Without warning, the clouds start rolling in. Problems surface. Accidents happen. Sickness strikes.
With the first few clouds, we are not overly concerned. We can fix this. We can handle it. Then, with a roar of thunder, the “bad cloud” rolls in. The problems start piling up. Everything is going wrong at once. The thunder roars, the lightning strikes, and our once sunny skies are obliterated by dark, menacing clouds pelting us with a blinding rain.
We are caught off guard. What seemed manageable only moments before, now seems overwhelming. We are panicked , uncertain, even devastated.
Storms are unpredictable. We have no idea how long they will last nor the degree of devastation they will leave in their wake. We quiver at the rumbling thunder. We panic when the lightning flashes across our once well ordered lives. We stare out at the rain and wonder when this trial will ever end.
We cannot control the storms of life any better than Granny could stop those dark clouds she observed from her kitchen window. Ready or not, the storms will come and we must weather them. Still, just like Granny, we can seek shelter from the onslaught, protection from the peril.
We can find safe shelter in God alone. Through prayer and petition, we can lift up our concerns and garner strength to face whatever lies ahead. Remembering that God is sovereign over all the elements, we can trust Him to see us through our present troubles.
One of the most common sources of bitterness in the human heart stems from our misguided thinking that God should not allow the storms to besiege us. We incorrectly assume that if He loves us, then God should allow only sunshine in our lives. However, the Bible makes it clear that this life will be laced with troubles. Jesus did not promise us a trouble free life. He just promised that He would stand with us in the storms.
Friends, when those dark clouds start rolling in, seek the shelter of The Most High. He will cover us with His mighty wings and see us safely through the coming peril. We must learn to hold His hand in quiet confidence until the storm blows over, replaced by the bright blue skies of better days to come.
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“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 – NIV
PRAYER
O Most High, O Lord God Almighty, hear our anguish, see our suffering, save us from the coming peril. Lord, we are frightened and overwhelmed as the storm clouds roll into our lives. Lord, grant us strength to weather the elements, faith to trust in Your sovereignty, peace to rest in Your Presence even as the thunder roars. For You, O Lord, will cover us with Your wings and bring forth the sunshine once more in due time. Help us to wait patiently with quiet confidence, comforted by the warmth of Your mighty Hand covering our own.
In the Powerful Name of Jesus, we pray,
Amen
Blessings,
Anita
-APS 10/17/2022
Faith Beyond Sight 