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Have you ever been caught in a raging storm?! Now when I ask that question it could pertain to a financial storm, an emotional storm, a physical storm, or even a natural storm. It's a scary storm, the one where you aren't sure what's going to happen because it seems like everything around you is breaking loose, you aren't sure when it's going to stop and you feel helpless because there is nothing you can do but sit and just wait. One thing we do not like is the waiting. You look around and feel like there's no hope. Your body is trembling with fear and it seems like all you can do is fall to your knees. You cry out to God to save you, to bring some type of relief so your mind could be at ease, except... you don't hear or see anything. That feeling can make you feel alone. But in God we are NEVER alone! In Deuteronomy 31:6 it says, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” That alone should make us wanna jump and shout because in God we are never ever alone.
In the most recent natural storm warning we received at 3:22am, I couldn't help but naturally get shaken up because the fact is... I wasn't sure what was going to happen and my initial instinct was to get my family to a safe place and keep them there until we heard the storm calm down. It frightens you when you are awaken from your sleep with a notification stating, "get to a safe shelter immediately". So, I quickly woke my husband and we brought the kids to our basement for safety. We prayed and listened to worship as we waited. We lost power due to the storm. For a while, all we could hear was the downpour of rains and the winds. After a little while the storm began to calm down and we began to come out of hiding from our safe place. We lost sleep due to this storm because we were on a lookout. After a few hours of the storm, it became morning and I woke up to a beautiful sunrise, the birds chirping and a pretty blue sky with a little bit of white clouds.
Today, God is telling us, "You may be in a middle of a raging storm, but I want to be your safe place, come to me all of you who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest. Come out of hiding and come to me. There you will experience my presence and my peace. The peace that no one or nothing in this world can give to you. The peace that passes all understanding." Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
No matter how bad our storms may look in the natural that doesn't determine the outcome of the storm. God doesn't operate in the natural. He operates in the supernatural. Therefore, we can live our lives every moment content, in peace and knowing that our God is working it out for our good. There's no need to lose sleep, there's no need to fear, there's no need to be on a lookout because He already knows the end of our story. Our God NEVER loses power!
After the raging storm, you can put it in the bank that there WILL be sunshine! And for that Lord, we give you all the glory, honor and praise. I thank you for being our shelter and our safe place in a time of troubles and fears.
Psalm 91:1-5 We live within the shadow of the Almighty, sheltered by the God who is above all gods. This I declare, that he alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I am trusting him. For he rescues you from every trap and protects you from the fatal plague. He will shield you with his wings! They will shelter you. His faithful promises are your armor. Now you don’t need to be afraid of the dark anymore, nor fear the dangers of the day;