Last spring and summer became seasons of storms – literal storms. It seemed like every week brought severe thunderstorms with thunder and lightening and damaging winds. A frequent activity during that time included standing at the window watching the clouds rolling in and the leaves whipping with gusts that threatened to topple trees and sever power lines. We feared losing the old trees in our yard – particularly those that could fall on our house – and with good cause as one of our largest trees became uprooted in one such disturbance. The power of each storm ushered in a wave of fear with the realization of my own powerlessness, but there was also a certain level of assurance as I watched from the safety of my home. Though I know that my home could sustain damage from the storm, I also trusted that it would shelter me through it – ultimately I felt safe.

A Different Kind of Storm..

This spring brings a different kind of storm. Though the weather is calm, the pandemic we are living through has not been so unlike a severe storm rolling through. As the edge of the dark cloud approached, we had warning of something menacing, but many of us did not anticipate the widespread threat this virus would bring to everyone and everything we know. As uncertain as life feels at this time, we need to run to the shelter that will sustain us!

A Lesson for Them – and Us…

I am reminded of the lesson Jesus’s disciples learned as they experienced a storm. Mark 4 tells the story of Jesus and the disciples in a boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus, exhausted from a long day of ministry, slept through the whipping wind and furious waves while the other men in the boat worried. When they finally woke him, their words echo what I might be tempted to feel even today. “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” (Mark 4:38)

Even while I am entertaining the very same sentiment, I am also tempted to judge these men. If they only understood who their traveling companion really was, surely they would not have been afraid. Didn’t they know that God was in control? Couldn’t they see that Jesus was never in danger and, because they were with him, neither were they?

How Should We Respond?

Jesus response was to first calm the storm and then to question their faith. It is important to note that he was never suprised by the disciples’ fear. Instead, his question was to prompt them to consider what they really believed. Their reaction was to ask themselves the question we too must ask. “Who is this?” (Mark 4:41)

Truthfully, though today’s storm is full of real and tangible dangers – sickness, financial instability, shortage of supplies – another enemy is the lack of knowledge and fear of deceit. It is difficult to know who to trust and there is no shortage of false information and fear. The remedy for fear is trust and the antidote for deceit is truth. Thank God we have access to both! Ephesians 4:11-16 reminds us that we have been given people to equip us so that we can understand who God is.

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.” Ephesians 4:14 

We can know God – in fact he wants us know him (see Jeremiah 9:23-24) – and when we know him we can trust that he is able to do what he says he can do. Let us use this time – in the midst of the storm – to run to him and trust his power.

“The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10 

Here are some practical tips for weathering our current storm: 

• There is a plethora of encouragement on the internet right now. Choose wisely (sound biblical teaching) but use the resources available to receive the encouragement you need – and pass it on. (1 Thessalonians 5:21)
• Read the Bible. Listening to teachers and preachers is valuable, but reading God’s Word yourself is the best way to gird yourself in truth. (Ephesians 6:14)
• Spend time in prayer. Pray for God’s wisdom and guidance, pray for the health and protection of your friends and family, pray for our nation and our world. (Philippians 4:6-7)
• Be an encouragement to others. Reach out  – we have an opportunity to connect with people on a deeper level while we are without the distractions of our usual lives. (Hebrews 3:13)
• Look for God in every day and record where you see him at work. There is no better way to encourage yourself than to remind yourself of how God has shown up in your own life. (1 Samuel 30:6)