“Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it.” “There is none like God, O Jeshurun, who rides through the heavens to your help, through the skies in his majesty.” Deuteronomy 10:14; 33:26
“O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;
sing praises to the Lord,
to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens;
behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
Ascribe power to God,
whose majesty is over Israel,
and whose power is in the skies.
Awesome is God from his sanctuary;
the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people.
Blessed be God!” Psalm 68:32-35
“When he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, ‘Save us, Lord; we are perishing.’ And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?’ Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, ‘What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?'” Matthew 8:23-27
The afternoon is rumbling. Grey and more grey it grows, darkening the inside, and my inside. As heavy clouds now grumble and growl, thunder shakes the afternoon like a sadness shakes my soul. There are some storms we cannot avoid. When rain blasts and blows, we cannot escape. We get drenched in sorrow. But we know the One who rules, and He can still the fiercest storm. He rides the ancient skies to our aid and comfort, and we would not know His balm and peace if not for the storm.
It is hard to keep the tremble of a storm at bay, and not be shaken by death, a sobering diagnosis, broken relationships, unmet needs. In the midst, our vision is impaired, our bodies buffeted, and we want only to retreat. But the majestic Lord is in the storm, the wind, the vessel to which we cling. He is present and able to help, and faithful never to abandon us. There is no storm more harsh that He is loving, none more violent than He is compassionate and kind.
When we sense the first rumble of unease in our soul or the culture or the world, would we transfer fear to Jesus? Would we actively trust the One who shines His sun no matter what, and ask for eyes of faith to see His long view, no matter how dark? What storms are we encountering that we can bring to God to apply His calm?
“O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee.
I give thee back the life I owe,
that in thine ocean depths its flow
may richer, fuller be…
O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee.
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
and feel the promise is not vain,
that morn shall tearless be.” ~George Matheson (1882)
Father, calm my rumbling soul in Your loving care. Please trace Your rainbow in the rain pelting those I love, and bring peace in the storm. Let us glimpse Your glory, that we may know and trust You in it all. (Exodus 33:13,18)
As the rain and snow 