Saturday, July 22, 2017

Light in the Storm

Photo by Alvesgaspar2009


As my husband and I sat overlooking the beach while reading our morning devotionals, we could sense the storm brewing. The breeze was strengthening, allowing a pair of ospreys to soar effortlessly through the darkening sky. Waves lapping the shore began to chop and churn, and the usually pale blue, glassy sea became rough and darkened with deep purple blots like ink stains under the gathering clouds.

I spotted an unusual cloud formation that resembled a rocky cliff with a sharp drop-off, abutting what looked like an immense boulder. In the cleft between the boulder and the cliff was a human figure, huddled in a fetal position. Standing on the cliff was an angel with outstretched arms, as if protecting the person below.

As we watched the clouds change shape in the shifting winds, we witnessed an amazing transformation. The human figure looked up at the angel and straightened up, while still trapped between the cliff and the boulder. Although the angel began to recede into the distance, the sun’s rays, previously hidden, began to illuminate the human figure so that it shone brightly in the otherwise dark sky.

How often do we feel as if we’re trapped between a rock and a hard place? Like the psalmist David, who hid in caves as he fled for his life, we may feel like we’ve fallen into a pit (Psalm 40:2), a deep crevice flanked by impenetrable rock, and an impossibly long way up to safety. We can’t pull ourselves from it or climb out in our own strength, and we are reminded that God is our only hope (Psalm 38:15; 42:5,11; 71:5).

David wrote that the evils surrounding him and the consequences of his own sins were so great that he could not even look up, and his heart failed him. But God alone could save him through His tender mercies, loving kindness and truth, which continually preserved and delivered him (Psalm 40:11-17).

Praise God that He is our refuge in the storm, and that in our moments of deepest despair, He is with us, for He will never leave us nor forsake us! (Hebrews 13:5). He has not promised to remove us from our trials, for they accomplish His purpose for us in ways we cannot begin to understand, as they did with Job (Job 1:21).

God did not answer the apostle Paul’s repeated prayers to remove his thorn in the flesh, for His grace is sufficient in our trials and His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). His ways and thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:9), and we can have faith in His infinite love, power and wisdom to always work all things together for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28).

While still trapped in the rocks, the human figure in the clouds looked up, straightened up, and shone brightly. When in trouble, we should look up to the heavens, for God is the source of our help (Psalm 121:1). We must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus! He alone enables us to stand fast (1 Corinthians 16:13; Galatians 5:1; Philippians 1:27) and straight in the storm, and to shine brightly with His reflected light to be a beacon and encouragement to others (John 1:9; 8:12; Philippians 2:15).

Recently our Pastor has been preaching from Scripture verses that comfort us in times of trouble. There are no coincidences or accidents with God.

At the very time we were at the beach watching this majestic demonstration of His handiwork (Psalm 19:1-6; Romans 1:20), His Word spoke to us through the devotionals we were reading. One of these referenced Iguazu Falls, a stunning chain of 275 waterfalls in South America, bordered by a wall on which is inscribed the words “God is always greater than all our troubles,” under Psalm 93:4: The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.

The brightness of the human figure enfolded in the rocks also reminded me that in times of trouble, God hides (Psalm 32:7) and protects us within Himself, in His pavilion and in the secret of His tabernacle, and that He will set us upon a rock (Psalm 27:5). That Rock is the sure foundation (Luke 6:48; Matthew 16:18) of His Son Jesus Christ, Who saves and gives eternal life (John 3:16) to all who trust in His death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) as the only Way to Heaven (John 14:6).

May we trust in Christ alone, and in His mercy, for He is our Rock, salvation, defense, glory, strength and refuge! (Psalm 62:5-8; 59:16-17; 94:22)

His protection and guidance from our enemies, threats and dangers (Psalm 32:8) enables us through faith to lift our head above these trials, to seek His face, offer sacrifices of joy and sing praises to Him (Psalm 27:6-8). Praise God that He is our refuge, strength, and very present help in trouble, so that we have no reason to fear even if the earth crumbles, the mountains explode and are carried into the roaring sea (Psalm 46:1-3).

Even in our darkest storms, may His light shine through us so that we can be a beacon of hope to a lost and dying world!

© 2017 Laurie Collett


9 comments:

Aritha said...

Thank you Laurie, for your post about God's glory. Yes, even in the darkest storms, can His light shine through us so that we can be a beacon of hope to a lost and dying world! Shine!

Laurie Collett said...

You're most welcome, Ariella, and thank you for your lovely comment! May we shine on, through His light and to His glory!
God bless you,
Laurie

Brenda said...

There were so many things in your post that I can relate to in my walk with the Lord Laurie - such as when I was going through a trial and the Lord spoke to me through 'my grace is sufficient for you' three times in one week - followed by the pastor in the church gathering I was attending at the time stopping the Sunday sermon that week and saying 'I don't know who this is for but the Lord says that His grace is sufficient for you.'
That written Word is definitely a living Word - the same yesterday, today and tomorrow when we are born again of God's Spirit.
God bless you Laurie for your encouragement.

Laurie Collett said...

Dear Brenda,
Thank you for sharing your experience, which truly is a confirmation that God speaks to His children, giving us exactly what we need when we need it. The Bible truly is God's living Word, for despite its unchanging constancy, it can speak to us differently each time we read it, offering us encouragement, comfort, guidance, correction, and/or new depths of understanding.
May God bless you too!
Laurie

Frank E. Blasi said...

Dear Laurie,
While I was still single, there was a day when I felt very agitated and spiritually dry - and there was to be a Bible study group on that same evening.
I looked up into the sky at the broken clouds, and I could not believe what I found myself looking at. There in the sky I am sure that what I saw was a cloud resembling the risen Lord Jesus himself, looking straight down at me. This occurred around 1992 or 1993.
A mere coincidence? Maybe so, maybe not. But you are right by saying that God is in control of everything, especially the weather, as so emphasised in the last two chapters of Job.
Here in Britain, we have a worldwide reputation of moaning about the weather. Maybe we all need to recognise that God sends rain on the just and unjust alike out of his undeserved grace and mercy.
An excellent blog, God bless.

Laurie Collett said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Donald Fishgrab said...

It's too bad so many people are so caught up in daily life they never look around to see what God does to show his love and power.

Laurie Collett said...

Dear Frank,
Praise God that He speaks to His children in so many ways, including through nature! Shortly before Richard's mother went home to be with the Lord, we were also going through times that were testing our faith, especially since we were traveling and could not immediately return home. There in the cloudless sky over a Nevada desert a single cloud appeared, in the perfect shape of a cross, as I wrote about previously on this blog.
Praise God that He is merciful and gracious to all, even to those who do not yet know Him.
Thanks as always for your encouragement and for sharing your experience.
God bless,
Laurie

Laurie Collett said...

Amen, Donald! Praise God that the heavens declare His handiwork! Thanks for your comment and God bless,
Laurie