The Gathering Storm

Psalm 32:7 "Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.  Selah."

Isaiah 25:4 "For thou hast been ...a refuge from the storm..."

In 2003, my husband's brother died, and we traveled to the city where he lived for the memorial, a city known for terrific thunderstorms.  We chose not to stay in the city, but in a small motel some distance away. My husband's brothers were staying at the same motel. We wanted to avoid the heavy traffic of the city, so we went to the memorial by a quieter route that took us on the outskirts.  We took our little dog with us, and I waited outside with the dog while my husband and his other brothers were attending the memorial.   It was a very hot day, and I watched the sky as the thunderheads gathered and began to spread.  The sky grew black, it was clear that there was a big storm brewing.

My husband came out from the reception before it ended and said that his brothers were going to stay longer, so we drove back to the motel the same way we came, back along the quiet route, pausing only to video the thunderheads about to let loose. I wanted to stay and watch the storm, but my husband thought it wise to avoid the driving rain or hail that was sure to begin shortly.  As we drove away the rain started, and some small hail, and I was thankful to be out of harms way...

My husband's two brothers left the reception in the midst of the storm.  They took a wrong turn,  and ended up in the middle of the city, in the middle of a very bad hailstorm.  They were stuck in traffic for hours but  eventually they made their way back to where they started, the motel where we were all staying.

In thinking about it now, it occurred to me that as believers when we see a storm of life gathering, we can do either of two things.  We can turn to the Lord for His protection, and trust that he will shelter us from it, or we can ignore the warnings and be caught in the midst of a trial.  The Lord, in his grace and mercy, will surely carry us through because we are His children, saved by grace through the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

But the end of the trial brings different outcomes, depending on our choice when the storm of life was brewing.   Did we run to the Lord as our refuge and come through the trial  an overcomer?  or did we ignore the warning, be caught in the middle, and come through the trial sadder, wiser and perhaps with consequences?

Happy are they who run to the Lord, who put their trust in Him.