Storms

And there arose a great storm. . . Mark 4:37

It’s that time of year. Storms of great intensity roam across the middle of our country and often wreak havoc on the countryside and in the lives of people. Just a few days ago the news was of sixty tornados in one brief time period. Some men and women have gone to great lengths to protect themselves from such storms, and yet many are hurt and killed every year.

Storms in nature are not the only problems in life. The reality is that there are other kinds of storms which blow difficulty and despair through our life and leave behind a sense of uncertainty about the future.

The narrative in Scripture that tells us of the storm on the Sea of Galilee through which the Savior slept also demonstrates His power over the challenges of life. When He arose to rebuke the wind and waves He brought to light the power of His presence in the situations and circumstances which so easy upset us.

Since our Savior is able to control the Cosmos with a word, will He not also be able to control the anguish that comes when death invades our ranks? Will He not be wise to give an answer to the despondency that follows the loss of a job, the reversal of financial fortune, and the gloom that envelopes us when a friend fails to be such? Will not the desolation and misery of our children gone astray be comforted by His words of llove and care? Or can we not on the strength of His consolation survive the damage done when we are betrayed or abandoned by one whom we have lloved and supported in the battles of life?

Yet many have not moved to protect themselves from these storms by entering a personal, intimate relationship with the Savior. We are somehow confident that the coming tornado will strike the house down the street, but not ours. We are sure that the injury will be in someone’s life, but not ours. We have no storm shelter, no flood insurance, and we’re confident our roof is on tight. Who needs a Savior? Who needs a comforter? Who needs one who provides, when we most need it, the soothing reassurance that life does not consist in the abundance of things or the commendation and acclaim of men?

We need protection from life in life! When the storms come, and they will, the Savior will speak peace. That’s a reality you can count on.