When hope invites you to snuggle up in a storm!! What a THOUGHT!!
What do we do when storms come into our lives? As I was reflecting on this I was reminded of the time Jesus was asleep during a relentless and violent storm. And how the disciples struggled during that storm to regain control of the boat until tired and exhausted they woke him up crying, “Carest not thou that we are perishing?” He then rebuked the storm (Mark 4:35-41). And the next moment the storm calmed much to the consternation of the disciples.
And the answer to,”Carest not thou we perish?” (archaic careth used as it is less verbose!!) was undoubtedly answered: ,
YES He careth that we do not perish!
YES He careth that ours be the joyous,
And victorious, and a conquering life.
And this thought came to me that there is lesson for us here. The lesson being that when we find ourselves in a situation/storm so beyond our control we must see Jesus with us in our storm (next time you call Him Emmanuel, which means God with us – with the emphasis is on US – remember that in this storm incident the Emmanuel reality is wonderfully demonstrated).
And we are right to address the storms in our lives with prayer. And yet even prayer does sometimes feel inadequate to address the immediacy of our situation. However we must trust that in our storms we will do right or act right. And prayer is right.
Hope also presents us with an opportunity to giving us both a perspective of the Lord and the storm at hand. And since the Lord is with us in the boat we could consider that may be having done what we know best (pray) decide to ride out the storm by snuggling next to him until he wakes up and rebukes the storm the sea back to calmness.
And in so doing we will allow that which makes us so frantic to be an occasion to be calmed, even lulled, for He is calm unmoved by such. So snuggle up next to Him and ride out this storm, wholly believing, wholly trusting, wholly hoping, wholly knowing that:
The voice of the Lord is over (your) waters;
The God of glory thunders,
The Lord , over (your) many waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
The voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
The Lord sits enthroned over (your) flood;
The Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
May the Lord give strength to you!
May the Lord bless you with peace!
Psalm 29.3-4,10-11
(Now snuggle up will ya!)
Psalm 42:11
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and
Why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; (snuggle up!!)
For I shall again praise him,
My salvation and
My God.
…And hope! (in spite of your storms) maketh not ashamed….. (Romans 5:5)
Can’t you see Daniel in the den he snuggled next to very furry and yet very hungry lions!?
How much more when in your storm you snuggle up next to Him
Who is Lion of the tribe of Judah….enthroned above your storms…
WHAT A THOUGHT INDEED….
What will you do?
I remain shackled to hope (Zech 9:12)*
* Zeph 9:12
Return to your fortress,
you prisoners of hope;
even now I announce
that I will restore
twice as much to you.
