Last week's post talked about my little birdie-friend and how he had the joy and strength needed to sing, even amidst his affliction. Today, still another amazing truth was revealed to me.
I sat out on the porch, Kindle in hand. (Who else loves to read outside? *raises hand*) It had been cloudy for the past hour, and some rain had fallen, but right then it was only showering in light streams.
Suddenly, though, the clouds opened fully, and the rain gushed down in rivers. A few drops were swept up in the wind and thrust at me, but beneath the roof of the porch, I knew I was protected from the blast. I was safe, yet still worries flashed through my mind: Should I move in closer, so that I will not be hit at all?
Storms come in life. There's no stopping them. There's no changing them. Some storms bring hail, others snowflakes, others lightning bolts and thunder claps, and still others rain.
But one thing they all have in common, and that is that they all bring a blessing.
God will use our storms to increase our faith in Him, as well as help us to rely upon and trust Him always and unconditionally. He will use our storms to reveal valuable truths and teach us important lessons. And through it all, we know that we are sheltered.
Sheltered in Him. Sheltered in His love. Sheltered in His promises.
Around us, the storms will rage, but we are being held - we are being cradled and cared for by Him, the King of the Universe! We'll move in close, but, as the rain continues to fall (sometimes succeeding in cutting another wound deep within our hearts), we can trust our God to allow us to cling to Him still more, to move deeper into His Word and into His presence. We can be confident that He hears every word before we even think it (much less say it) and that He will pull us closer and closer to Himself, wiping away our tears and promising, "This will all work out for your good and My glory. Trust me."
Storms are hard to endure, and sometimes it seems that we can never fully shrug off the dampness they leave upon our hearts.
That just means God is telling you He is not finished yet! Continue to pray and to hope, for He sees and knows you so, so well, and, while our seasons may change, He will never change.
In that, you can be absolutely, positively, definitely, and certainly sure.
I enjoy listening to a song written upon this subject. It's called "Eye of the Storm," and it's written by Ryan Stevenson. If you would be interested in hearing this song, click HERE.
"Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in You my soul takes refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by." Psalm 57:1
I love the song "Eye of the Storm". It was kind of last year's theme song for our family during of difficulties. I also like to read outside.
ReplyDeleteThrough every storm of life, I know You, Lord, is beside me.
Amen again, Ellen! So good.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post, Ellen! :-)
ReplyDelete~Hannah