Storm Warning: Calm Before the Storm — Friday
Matthew 7:24-27
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (NIV)
This week, I’ve talked a lot about what it looks like when Christ is our firm foundation. But what does that truly look like when the storms come? These past few months have been full of a lot of “storms” for me. Storms in life are disruptive. They turn our plans upside down and force us to surrender our dreams, our desires, and our plans, even if they seem like good things at the time. God is okay with disruption. He disrupted death itself. In the midst of disruption, in the midst of storms, run to Him.
Thank Him for who He is and for what He’s done, even when it’s hard. Be honest with Him. Tell Him how you feel. He does not scorn our grief, sadness, fear, or anger. Instead, He opens His arms wide to embrace us. He sits at the foot of our bed to comfort us when we cry during the night. He is our dwelling place (Psalm 90:1). Every storm passes, and when the sky clears, we can give Him even more praise for delivering us. But amidst the disruption, continue to look to Him.
I want to end this week with a prayer I wrote in this recent season of storms. Lean into Him and let Him take care of You, no matter what kind of season you’re in.
Harvest turned to pruning.
Doorways into dead ends.
Dancing to wrestling.
Delight into drought.
“How much longer, Lord?”
And You say,
“There is more.”
God of inconveniences and interruption,
You disrupt at just the right time.
Prying my grubby fists open
to exchange my treasured weeds
for the flowers that were once around
Your empty grave.
The audacity You have to disrupt my plans
is the same audacity with which You disrupted Death.
“More of this.”
Shadows turned to daylight.
Captivity into freedom.
Weeping to laughing.
Dread into desire.
I know there is more.
Friday’s Reflection
Tell God what’s on your heart. Don’t be afraid to be honest with Him. Ask Him to be your source of hope and strength in the midst of storms and disruptions.