Written by Megan Burns. Media by Taylor Harpster.
I was sure by now, God You would have reached down, and wiped our tears away, stepped in and saved the day. But once again, I say ‘Amen’, and it’s still raining.
As the thunder rolls, I barely hear Your whisper through the rain, ‘I’m with you’”
As a child, I was told that the thunder was angels bowling, and the lighting meant they had just gotten a strike. This helped me to sleep in peace during storms. As I got older and shed away my naive childlike frame of mind, I heard the truth about clouds, friction, and precipitation. I also learned that storms are not just rain, thunder, and lighting. Yes, these are weather phenomena, but sometimes, we have our own storms that happen internally.
It is easy to tell when it is going to storm. The sky gets dark, the wind picks up, and a light sprinkle will kick it off. This is just like our storms. We face darkness, sometimes started by little things that just seem to pick up speed. In Mark chapter 4, Jesus faces a storm, “And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?’” Jesus was literally right in the middle of the storm with the men on that ship. No matter what our storm may be, Jesus is still with us. Mark goes on to say, “Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, ‘Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?’ And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, ‘Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!’” Jesus calmed the storm, but the disciples questioned their faith. Even as we face trials and storms of many kinds, we must hold strong to our faith, because eventually, God will calm the storm.
No matter what storm you may be facing in life, even if it is a real storm, such as our recent hurricane victims or an internal storm, Jesus is with you. Maybe you are battling against yourself, others, or schoolwork that keeps piling up and dragging you down. He promises us, however, in Isaiah 43, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
And I’ll praise You in this storm, and I will lift my hands. For You are who You are, no matter where I am. And every tear I’ve cried, You hold in Your hand. You never left my side, and though my heart is torn, I will praise You in this storm.”
