God is our protection and our strength. He always helps in time of trouble. So we will not be afraid even if the earth shakes, or the mountains fall into the sea. Even if the oceans roar and foam, or the mountains shake at the raging sea. (vs. 1-3)
Fig trees may not grow figs, and there may be no grapes on the vines. There may be no olives growing and no food growing in the fields. There may be no sheep in the pens and no cattle in the barns. But I will still be glad in the Lord. I will rejoice in God, my Savior. The Lord God is my strength. (Habakkuk 3)
Perfect love casts out all fear. (1 John 4:18)
The ominous clouds were circling overhead as we drove away from our new home in Wichita Falls, Texas, on a stormy afternoon in April, 1979. Our young daughters were in the back seat as we cruised down Southwest Parkway heading toward our motel downtown and the Wendy's drive-thru adjacent to it. The sky seemed suddenly to turn a dark emerald green as the wispy ends of the clouds began to spiral like a corkscrew out of the mass. We pulled into the drive-thru and ordered our hamburgers and fries and waited for the order in the car.
"Quick! Get out of your car right now and come inside!" The attendant's voice was high and screechy, terror-filled. "Now!"
Then the wailing began. Sirens heralding the oncoming tornado that would eventually ravage one-fifth of the town, leaving entire neighborhoods bereft of homes, shopping centers, and banks. Fear electrified the air inside the little fast food restaurant as we were herded into the meat locker for safety. I turned to see the twister grinding through our new neighborhood just as the manager shut us into the cold.
The day was deadly for over forty people. The entire south side of the city looked like it had been bombed. Lights were out. No electricity or water. Deadly quiet after night fell. Everyone stunned and weary.
One of those even if 's. When things fall apart and you wonder where God is. When fear is appropriate, but maybe not very helpful. It seems to me that one of Jesus's favorite questions to His disciples was, "Why are you afraid?" Funny. He asked them that when He was asleep in the back of the boat and the storm was so powerful they thought they were going to die in it. While He was in the boat! They didn't get it any more than we sometimes do. Why do we fear when He Who made the storm rests in the boat with us?
"Wake up, Jesus! There's a terrible storm and we are about to sink!" This as the waves spill over into the boat and the wind tears at the sails. It was bad! No doubt about it.
"Be still!" commands Jesus of the maelstrom. "Don't be afraid!" commands Jesus of His friends.
It is counter intuitive to be still. To decide to trust the Creator for the storms whirling about in creation. How silly, though, for us to think we can speak to the calamity with the authority of the Maker or cry and wail so loudly that we can make it stop. He controls it all. And sees us in it. And loves us. Rejoices in our trust. We will be spared the storm, seen through it or carried to His arms by it. These are God's choices. None is a fearful prospect. And, fear makes us foolish. We panic and make mistakes that faith keeps us from. Fear makes us lose perspective. Faith makes us look to Him.
If in the raging storm, Jesus walks with us like the fourth man in the fire with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo, we shouldn't fear. But with them we should also be able to say, "Even if He doesn't save us from this fire, we will not serve another God." If we know in the midst of the struggle that we are loved by our Father, there is nothing to fear. Not height, nor depth, nor any other created thing. If we love Him, we will not fear that the things happening to us have been brought about for our destruction but for His glory and in accordance with His plans. We are, therefore, in the palm of His hand in the center of every storm.
Fig trees may not grow figs, and there may be no grapes on the vines. There may be no olives growing and no food growing in the fields. There may be no sheep in the pens and no cattle in the barns. But I will still be glad in the Lord. I will rejoice in God, my Savior. The Lord God is my strength. (Habakkuk 3)
Perfect love casts out all fear. (1 John 4:18)
The ominous clouds were circling overhead as we drove away from our new home in Wichita Falls, Texas, on a stormy afternoon in April, 1979. Our young daughters were in the back seat as we cruised down Southwest Parkway heading toward our motel downtown and the Wendy's drive-thru adjacent to it. The sky seemed suddenly to turn a dark emerald green as the wispy ends of the clouds began to spiral like a corkscrew out of the mass. We pulled into the drive-thru and ordered our hamburgers and fries and waited for the order in the car.
"Quick! Get out of your car right now and come inside!" The attendant's voice was high and screechy, terror-filled. "Now!"
Then the wailing began. Sirens heralding the oncoming tornado that would eventually ravage one-fifth of the town, leaving entire neighborhoods bereft of homes, shopping centers, and banks. Fear electrified the air inside the little fast food restaurant as we were herded into the meat locker for safety. I turned to see the twister grinding through our new neighborhood just as the manager shut us into the cold.
The day was deadly for over forty people. The entire south side of the city looked like it had been bombed. Lights were out. No electricity or water. Deadly quiet after night fell. Everyone stunned and weary.
One of those even if 's. When things fall apart and you wonder where God is. When fear is appropriate, but maybe not very helpful. It seems to me that one of Jesus's favorite questions to His disciples was, "Why are you afraid?" Funny. He asked them that when He was asleep in the back of the boat and the storm was so powerful they thought they were going to die in it. While He was in the boat! They didn't get it any more than we sometimes do. Why do we fear when He Who made the storm rests in the boat with us?
"Wake up, Jesus! There's a terrible storm and we are about to sink!" This as the waves spill over into the boat and the wind tears at the sails. It was bad! No doubt about it.
"Be still!" commands Jesus of the maelstrom. "Don't be afraid!" commands Jesus of His friends.
It is counter intuitive to be still. To decide to trust the Creator for the storms whirling about in creation. How silly, though, for us to think we can speak to the calamity with the authority of the Maker or cry and wail so loudly that we can make it stop. He controls it all. And sees us in it. And loves us. Rejoices in our trust. We will be spared the storm, seen through it or carried to His arms by it. These are God's choices. None is a fearful prospect. And, fear makes us foolish. We panic and make mistakes that faith keeps us from. Fear makes us lose perspective. Faith makes us look to Him.
If in the raging storm, Jesus walks with us like the fourth man in the fire with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo, we shouldn't fear. But with them we should also be able to say, "Even if He doesn't save us from this fire, we will not serve another God." If we know in the midst of the struggle that we are loved by our Father, there is nothing to fear. Not height, nor depth, nor any other created thing. If we love Him, we will not fear that the things happening to us have been brought about for our destruction but for His glory and in accordance with His plans. We are, therefore, in the palm of His hand in the center of every storm.
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