Peace in the Storm
I was filled with fear from the top of my blond hair to the tips of my size seven shoes. A hurricane of monstrous proportions was about to blast Mobile, Alabama, where my husband and I had just bought our first home. Wind gusts of up to 170 miles per hour were expected over our 1,000 square foot house that was surrounded by pine trees.
We had only been married for a few years, and I longed to be instantly transported far away from the Gulf of Mexico, the raging winds, and the promise of flooding.
As the storm came over land, Craig and I huddled in our hallway, with a mattress placed securely over our young heads. The power went out almost immediately, but we were prepared for this challenge. We had bought enough flashlights and batteries to last for months in addition to a battery-operated radio. Although we were unable to control the storm, we listened to the wisdom of our southern neighbors and obeyed their advice implicitly.
As we listened to the secular radio station, the host told of massive damage, of impending deaths, and of the unmatched ferocity of Hurricane Frederic. I couldn’t hold back the tears and wondered why we had ever moved to this hurricane-infested region.
However, when we turned the radio dial to our favorite Christian station, the host was reading from the Word of God and reminded the population of the Gulf Coast that our God is the Lord of the winds and the waves. As worship music flooded the airwaves, my soul was at rest. The peace of the Lord was greater and more triumphant than even a massive hurricane.
“If God be our God, He will give us peace in trouble. When there is a storm without, He will make peace within. The world can create trouble in peace, but God can create peace in trouble.” – Thomas Watson
If you are longing to experience the peace of the Lord in the middle of your storm, perhaps you would determine to simply trust Him. You must trust His character, His goodness, and His power. I have learned not to pray for peace in the storm, but to trust Him first. The peace of His presence will then come rushing into my ravaged heart.
“I will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Me because he trusts in me.” – Isaiah 26:3
After you have determined that you will trust Him regardless of the intensity of the wind of circumstances and despite the fierceness of the downpour of pain, then you must choose to sing in the rain! A song of praise will always usher in the peace that passes understanding. A heart that is raised in a defiant song to the Lord will experience a peace that trumps fear and demolishes depression. His peace is a gift to you in the middle of every storm.
Questions for Reflection:
1. Do you recall a time in your life when fear threatened to overwhelm you? How did you handle that barrage of fear?
2. What is your favorite worship song?
3. What verse in the Bible helps you to experience God’s peace?
