Storms of any kind are destructive in one form or another. A storm had come through and downed some big old trees at my parents’ house and they almost lost their satellite dish in the process. But they were thankful that no trees or damage touched the house.
“He stilled the storm to a whisper;
the waves of the sea were hushed.
They were glad when it grew calm,
and he guided them to their desired haven.”
Psalm 107:29-30, NIV
When you feel God’s peace even while going through disturbances and trials… That’s peace in storms! At one point in my life I lived in a mobile home, and as anyone who has or does live in one knows, it’s not a safe place to be in the midst of hurricanes, tornadoes and other such storms. A hurricane was pounding my area with wind and rain beating against my windows. With no place to go, I gathered a few things and my cat, and hunkered down in a decent sized walk-in closet since my bathroom was on outside end wall. I curled up with a book and prayed for safety through the storm, and God gave His peace in the storm.
Storms come in a lot of different ways than just weather-related. Sometimes I think I prefer the weather-related ones because there’s usually a quicker end to a rain or snow storm. Though there’s clean-up after a storm such as a tornado, hurricane, and such, at least you know it’s over and once the clean-up is done, you can get back to normal.
What is your storm right now? Is it a financial storm that’s eaten into your resources and you don’t know where the money is coming from to pay the mortgage or rent or even to be able to buy groceries? That kind of storm is difficult because in a human sense you’re dependent on a specific source of income that may have been lost, reduced, or taken away. But God knows all about it and can give you peace in the midst of your financial storm. It may be through a neighbor sharing food from their garden, a friend inviting you over, an anonymous gift showing up in your mailbox, an unexpected check, or a job offer. God can work in any way He chooses to meet your financial needs. I know—He’s done it for me over and over again.
Are you in a relationship storm? I’ve been there. They can be more painful than some other storms of life and harder to resolve or renew. It could be a child, a spouse, a friend, a parent, or a coworker. They’re all hard and have their own quirks that make it even more difficult to fix. If you do your best, remain calm, and keep the lines of communication open, God will give you peace in the midst of that relational storm.
Emotional storms are the worst, in my opinion. Life happens and emotions are caught up in a whirlwind of activity, thoughts, and feelings. You get confused when things don’t seem right, frustrated when it’s not what you thought it would be or what you want, angry when things are taken away from you, unsettled when you can’t decide what you really want in a particular situation. I have to stop, write things down, review them, pray over them, and think through my emotions. But to be completely honest, many times I’m still a ball of tangled emotions like yarn after my cat gets her claws in it. At those times, I must get to the point where I’m willing to share them all with a trusted friend.
Some storms come at us over time. You see them coming but are unable to abate the storm, hold it back, nor blow it away to sea. Think of the Disciples out on the Sea of Galilee. They thought it was a beautiful night for crossing the sea, but as was common for that area, a storm blew in faster than they could react. There was initially no peace in the middle of that storm until Jesus walked on the water to them and calmed the sea. Now THAT is Peace in a storm with a Capital P! Only Jesus could appear out of nowhere, walking on the water, and calming a storm on the sea.
Fear is the biggest factor in the loss of peace in the midst of a storm. It’s a natural reaction to the unknown, but it doesn’t have to be the place we get stuck. Reach out to Jesus for peace in the storm and the fear will diminish in His presence. I’m preaching to myself here because fear of things, people, and situations get in my way far too often, though I like to say it’s just me being cautious and careful to stay out of harm’s way.
So whatever storm you’re surrounded by today, give it to Him and let Him calm the storm, work through it for your good, and give you peace in the midst of the storm.