By Brenda Black
Some in our little country
congregation have traveled near and far and returned safely home to
the rural community where I live. Some endured sudden storms this
past week that left damaged property, but no injuries. Some have
braved medical tests and learned good news and some are thankful for
just one more day. In all of these circumstances, God moved.
“The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and he delivers them.” (Psalm 34:7)
Deliverance comes in a host of forms,
from traveling mercies to supernatural healing. The Lord covers,
sustains, removes, rejuvenates. He leads, protects, grants wisdom or
endurance. And sometimes bad things happen, people get sick or
possessions get ruined. Still, God Almighty partners with us when we
place our trust in Him, no matter the situation. Godly fear is the
beginning of wisdom; wisdom is steeped in learning to lean.
“Trust in the Lord with all your
heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways
acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs
3:5-6)
The harder the winds of this world
blow in our face, the more we have to live by faith! The disciples
had to learn that same lesson with an up-close encounter with nature
when they were overcome by a raging storm. “A squall came down on
the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great
danger...He [Jesus] got up and rebuked the wind and the raging
waters; the storm subsided and all was calm. 'Where is your faith?'
he asked his disciples.'” (Luke 8:23b-25)
The story concludes that “In fear
and amazement they asked one another, 'Who is this? He commands even
the winds and the water, and they obey him.'” (Lk 8:25)
In order to truly follow a God who is
all powerful, we have to first fear Him reverently. Honestly, I am
repulsed by the lack of God-awe these days. We regard Him as a sugar
daddy prayer buddy. We worship Him only if we win the lottery. We
blaspheme His holy name and defend ungodly behavior. This mixed up
world takes punches at the King of Kings and Lord of Lords without
apology and packages it in blog rants and comedic monologues on
late-night t.v. We shamelessly promote sin and categorize
righteousness as bigotry. The foolishness of men is evidenced in a
thousand ways through our arrogance, self-righteousness, indifference
and independence! Such denial of God's magnanimous sovereignty is
stupid at best; eternally damning at worst. The prolific disregard
for our Creator causes me to wonder just how much longer will He
tarry. A day of reckoning is coming.
Before the disciples were fully
convinced of Jesus' amazing wind and water taming, at least they
already called Him Master. “The disciples went and woke him,
saying, 'Master, Master, we're going to drown!'” (Lk 8:24)
Until we see God the Father, God the
Son, and God the Holy Spirit with faith-filled, humble eyes, we are
sunk! But, in reliance on God and a belief in the power of the
Resurrected Christ, we muster the courage to face whatever blasts
into our life or is torn from it. Only Jesus truly calms our storms.
So trust and do not fear. God is near when we need Him most, if we
would just believe.
The divide between those who call Him
Lord and those who ignore His mighty power grows wider every day. So,
I'm compelled to ask: When the storms blow your direction, are you
going to go through them without protection? Or will you be covered
in calm, with Christ as your shelter?
copyright 2012 The Word's Out - Brenda Black
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