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I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.

I would flee far away and stay in the desert;  

I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm.”

- Psalm 55:6-8

“We want Christ to hurry and calm the storm. 

He wants us to find Him in the midst of it first.”

“Storms in life are not meant to break us but to bend us towards God.”

Tropical storm Debbie is passing through as I write this. The rain has been coming down for a few hours, deep puddles are forming in the driveway, streams are flowing down the street and from time to time the trees are whipped about in a frenzy from the storm winds. Smaller sticks hit the roof; you can hear them and hope that nothing bigger falls on the house. 

It's the kind of weather you don’t want to drive in as waves of rain make it hard to see through the windshield and outer traffic lanes are filling with water as cars send out waves as they pass through. 

An emergency notice just came through the phone warning of flash flooding. 

It is a storm, and storms can be unsettling, bringing fear and anxiety. 

Storms are used as a metaphor for going through rough times in life. The account of Jesus calming the storm His disciples were experiencing on the lake is a reminder that even those close to Christ can experience fear in troubling times. 

It is also a reminder that Jesus alone can calm storms.

Storms are a reminder that not everything is in our control. They remind us that we will always need a Savior in our life, the One we can turn to in finding refuge and safety. 

We know the storm won’t last forever, but we long for it to end and to get through safely. That’s what Jesus does. He is with us in the storm. His mere presence is enough. He is there. He is bigger than the storm. With a word, the storm ends and yet it has a purpose – to bring us to Him and find shelter. He will bring us through and will help us pick up the pieces when it is over. 

If you are in a storm today, a marriage that is filled with hurt, or bills that can’t be paid, or a child that is heading the wrong way, or a conflict that won’t resolve, or medical issues that can’t be solved, then turn to Jesus in the midst of the storm. That is where you will find what you need in the Person you need. 

May the storms pass quickly as God directs your life.