Come In From the Storm
Father James Cloud
St. Mark 4:39
“And He arose, and rebuked the wind and said unto the sea, "Peace, be still." And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”
Last night was a noisy evening. The thunderstorms rolled in from the east and towards us to the south. The clouds looked perilous and the humidity engulfed us in a moist shroud. I sat and admired one of God’s creations as it barreled down upon us and the raging winds blew around me and the thunder deafened my ears in the tumult. I began to think about the storms we face in this life and the hardships that seem to engulf us as we sojourn in the foreign land and look for the New Jerusalem our home.
In the scripture reference I read, Jesus had been sleeping in the boat while the disciples desperately struggled to keep the small boat afloat. They began to question Christ as to whether or not he even cared about their safety and if he would allow them to drown in the raging storm.
Imagine for a moment the tumult that was going on around the disciples…the waves kept a steady pace as they crashed up and over the boat. The noise of the thunder echoed all around them and the rain pelted their face like pebbles tossed from the devil’s maw. Their muscles ached from the constant struggle that they found themselves in and their will to go on was weakening steadily as they forged through the night. I’m sure their tempers flared when one of them would fail to do their part and help the little boat, and quite possibly words were exchanged that they would be embarrassed to admit to later on.
Then there’s our Lord Jesus Christ. The picture of solemnity and calm. Just enjoying the rocking of the boat and slumbering peacefully as the disciples worked feverishly around him. Finally, when the disciple’s determination had dissolved into panic, they clamored about and in panic stricken voices asked if Christ would simply sleep and allow them to die.
Awoken by the shrill voices and screams of his disciples, Jesus rises and lifts his hand towards the maelstrom and with the same voice that spoke the universe into existence confidently proclaimed…Peace, be still.
Today is no different from that evening with the disciples. We often find ourselves struggling to keep the boat of our life afloat and guarding ourselves against the onslaught of lives challenges the beat a steady chorus against us. They tend to grow louder and louder into a crescendo that begins to deafen our ears to everything around us and blinds our eyes to see nothing but the storm itself. We flail about and grow weary from the struggle in our life and our determination begins to deteriorate into panic. We begin to curse and/or become frustrated with those around us that aren’t doing their part to fight the good fight, and all the while we sense that our loving Savior simply sleeps in the boat of our life and is “insensitive” to what we’re going through or simply doesn’t care about or even understand what we face.
It is at that point that we begin to question the Father and wonder if he really cares about us or not. When then ask ourselves, “Does he even care I’m struggling? Why is he so silent and I am fighting so hard? Where can I go to find shelter from the storm? I am so tired, I want to give up.” It is at that lowest point in our struggle that we can sense the presence of our Holy God, stir within us and we wonder what will happen.
Psalm 61:3
“For Thou hast been a shelter for me and a strong tower from the enemy.”
Proverbs 18:10
“The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe.”
Psalm 18:2
“The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”
Psalm 91:2
“I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him will I trust."
The scriptures describe our God as a strong tower and shelter in the time of the storm. He shelters us by His mighty hand and guides our paths as we walk the path of life. So what does this mean for us today?
As we are struggling to keep our boat afloat, our Lord slumbers on the deck not because he doesn’t care or that he doesn’t understand. He slumbers because he is confident that nothing can sink our boat no matter how harsh the winds and thunder roars around us. He cares for us so deeply that he will never allow anything more than we can handle in our lives. We are even told that nothing can separate us from the love that is in the Father through Jesus Christ our Sovereign Lord.
Romans 8:24-39
“For we are saved by hope; but hope that is seen is not hope, for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for it? But if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, those He also called; and whom He called, those He also justified; and whom He justified, those He also glorified. What then shall we say of these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ who died, yea rather, who is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: "For Thy sake we are killed all the daylong; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Getting back to last night’s thunderstorm, I was reminded of God’s sovereignty even with the dark and looming thunderheads that filled the night sky. The lightning show was glorious to behold but when it got too close for me to handle I went into my home and found shelter. It is the same with each one of us when the storms of life surround us.
There comes a point in everyone’s life when they are faced with decisions, hardships, situations, pains, deaths, losses, and every imaginable horror. We struggle to find our way and try to fight the good fight. We paddle and struggle against the currents that are forcing us into the rocks and shoals which threaten our very existence.
It is then that we must look for shelter. To whom do you run for your shelter? I am reminded of the song, “There is a lighthouse” which basically says that Christ is our lighthouse upon life’s troubled sea. He is the true source of shelter in this life and it is He whom will shelter you if you dare to rest with Him. You see he also calls us to rest amidst the storm and lie with Him and lay our hearts, thoughts, struggles and so much more upon his chest. He then wants to stand in the ship of our life and raise his hand and with the same voice that spoke the universe with all its wonder into existence and confidently proclaim, “Peace, be still.” He stands at the door of our hearts and knocks and confidently tells us, “Come in from the Storm.” Amen.
