Day 2: Face the Storms

The Picture

By Joe Holmes

The Verse: Job 37:14-18

Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God's wonders. Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash? Do you know how the clouds hang poised, those wonders of him who is perfect in knowledge? You who swelter in your clothes when the land lies hushed under the south wind, can you join him in spreading out the skies, hard as a mirror of cast bronze?

The Thought

 When I was a little girl, I used to be terrified of thunder storms.  When I was about 5 or 6, I remember my my dad picking me up and carrying me outside during a typical African summer storm.  As I sat with my arms tight around his neck and with him holding me equally tightly, we watched the lightning and listened to the thunder.

He said to me "You are safe, the storm is quite far away.  Just be brave and look at the lightning, listen to the thunder, smell the air and feel the storm."  I was terrified, but did as he told me.  When my head eventually came out from his neck, I really saw how beautiful the purple clouds were, how stunning the lightning was, and although very loud, how thrilling the thunder was.  We stood for ages as it rumbled away and as the storm passed, the sun came out and it grew peaceful.

Dad then said, "Always remember this, and you won't be scared of storms again."  And he was absolutely right.  I love storms now and relish in their power.  When we get a storm over Bristol, which isn't often enough for me, I take Joe out and show him the wonder of the storm too.  I hope that he will have the same love of storms that I have.

But when we face the turmoil and storms of life, we are often scared and run and hide under the bed!  I have to remember, God is holding me as my dad held me all those years ago.  He carries us through difficult and scary times.  The thunder doesn't get quieter, the lightning isn't less dangerous or powerful, but we can sit close in God's arms and he will hold us while the storm passes over.  I have to remember to rest there, have faith in Him and trust Him.  He has control over the elements.  His power is greater than that of earth.  He is more powerful than any crisis I might face!  How boring would our lives be if we never had storms, never had rain or wonderful cloud formations.  David once remarked that the sky was always too blue during a holiday in Cape Town and I know what he means.  We need the rain and storms to blow away the smog and wash away the dust and dirt.  Life can get too complacent and lazy if we aren't made to shiver once in a while.

The Prayer

Father, help me rest in your arms when facing storms.  I try too often to run things my own way instead of trusting in you.  Help me to face life's storms in the knowledge that they are strengthening me for my walk with you, stopping me from being to comfortable in an easy life.