Storm Series Part II - The Storm

I sat at my computer listening to the winds howl.  The glass in the windows rattled.  Throughout the afternoon and into the evening, the lights flickered, sometimes staying off for a minute or two.

The prep work had been done...

• I had found the last package of D batteries on the planet in a local 7/11 after hours of searching.
• The wet/dry vac I bought after last year's hurricane Irene was assembled and at the ready.
• Candles and matches and flashlights were lined up to pierce the darkness if it came.
• The tub was filled with water, the laundry was all done, food had been purchased and cooked.

I was as prepared as I could be, with nothing to do but wait for the full force of the storm.  So I sat and listened to the windows rattling...hard.  I wondered if they would shatter.  My computer is near a dining room window, and I considered moving out of potential harm's way.

As the night progressed, I grew tired, but was afraid to sleep.  What if the windows DID break?  What if the neighbor's very large tree being whipped mercilessly by the winds DID fall?  What if the wires were ripped from the house?  What if...what if...what if...

Suddenly I recalled a devotional I had written which had been published just a week before.  Entitled Peaceful Slumber, it talked about my fears of the unknown which resulted in lack of sleep following my separation and divorce years earlier.

It referenced Psalm 4:8 "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, oh Lord make me dwell in safety."

Had I really learned the lesson like I said I had?  Was not the Lord who makes me dwell in safety in control of ALL circumstances - weather included?  If something was going to happen to my home, keeping my eyes open wouldn't stop it.

I needed to trust Him in the midst of the storm.  I needed to believe that no matter what happened, He was there.  Nothing ever takes Him by surprise.

The disciples had to be taught that.  Matthew 8:23-26 tell us "Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him.  Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping.  The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”  He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?"  Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm."

If we trust in ourselves, in what we can do to prepare for life's storms - savings, insurance, and the like - we will still be caught off guard.  The disciples weren't wimps...they were seasoned fisherman who had fished through many storms.  But this one was big.  Really big.  Too big for them to tackle in their humanness.  They couldn't trust in what they knew or had prepared for.

When you find yourself in the midst of one of those life storms that's bigger than anything you imagined, your natural instinct may be to look to what you've done, what you were trusting in and suddenly feel powerless.  The truth is, you were powerless all along.  You had a false sense of security.  Only God can rebuke the wind and waves and calm the storm. 

Psalm 91: 4-6 says He will cover you with his wings you will be safe in his care, his faithfulness will protect and defend you. You need not fear any dangers at night or sudden attacks during the day or the plagues that strike in the dark or the evils that kill in daylight.

God sees the big picture...He's prepared to deal with all the events coming your way.  Your part in the preparation is not to trust in the things of this world, but to trust in Him.  Doing that requires building your relationship with Him now, during the peaceful times, through the ways He's provided - prayer, His Word, wise counsel, etc., so that when the storms come - and they will - you'll already be leaning on Him, sheltered in the safety of His wings.

For more on this series, click here: Part 1 - Storm Series