“God remembered Noah and all the beasts and livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided. The fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained, and the waters receded from the earth continually. At the end of 150 days the waters had abated, and… the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. The waters continued to abate until… the tops of the mountains were seen.
“At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground. But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him. He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf.” Genesis 8:1-11
“[Jesus] awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm… And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’” Mark 4:39,41
The eternal God who in the beginning hovered over the chaos of deep and darkness is the God who rules the wind. As wind blows to stoke fire and upturn water, to whorl sand and dirt and to clean the air and dry floods, the might and majesty of the Almighty’s power is displayed. At His word, at His invisible hand, all nature obeys. (Genesis 1:1-2)
Through life we experience a myriad of gusts, storms, and tempests that jar our world and test the soul. Unsettled, blown off balance, moved against our will, whipped with sting, we might wonder at the what and why. When we realize that God orders and measures the winds we experience, we can lean against His omniscient power, take shelter in His love and grace, and trust His sovereign and purposeful ends. He works all things for our providential good, and His plans will not be thwarted. (Job 42:2; Romans 8:28)
Where do we feel buffeted by strong winds of difficulty, sorrow, or change? Are we reeling without anchor, or buttressed within the gale by the Lord’s love and care? Is there an area of life we’d welcome a fresh blow of encouragement, inspiration, or hope? Are we courageous enough to walk into the wind and find Him there? The God of weather is our God today.
“When peace like a river attendeth my way,
when sorrows like sea billows roll;
whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
‘It is well, it is well with my soul.'” ~Horatio Stafford (1873)
Lord, have Your way with the winds and with me, to Your ends and glory.
As the rain and snow 