He May Not Stop the Storm
One evening before bed, my daughter was brushing her teeth, and a storm was rolling in. The rain hadn’t arrived yet, but we heard the thunder building as the clouds moved in on our home. As she was brushing, she kept stopping to say, “I want the thunder to stop!” I assured her that she was safe, and that God was the one who made the storms, and we didn’t need to be afraid. She continued brushing, then started saying, “Yeah, God will make the storm stop. He will. He will make the thunder stop.” As she continued brushing, I thought about what she said, then replied, “Well, sweetie, I don’t know if he will right now, but God is able to make the storm stop. He controls it all, so we know we don’t have to be afraid.”
After bedtime, I thought more about our conversation and mulled over that phrase- but God is able. It’s in that phrase where so much peace can be found. It’s in that phrase, that so much power can be found.
It isn’t a secret the world we live in is scary. It seems every day in the world and amongst our family and friends we are hearing of more heartache, more injustice, more pain, and more danger. When I hear these things, my mind starts racing into a thousand different “what ifs” that I have to forcefully try to stop myself and repeat that phrase- but God is able. What peace and hope it gives me to have a God that is not at the mercy of sin and evil, but He still has complete power over it. As I cling to that phrase, a follow up truth needs to be added to give further hope. But God is able, and He loves me.
The flimsy pacifying explanation that God will just make things easy for us won’t hold up in this hurting world, and we all know it. What will hold though, is that God is sovereign, that He is good, and that He loves me. Will God stop the thunder? I don’t know, but I know He is able to and that He loves me. Will God prevent another surgery? I don’t know, but I know He is able to and that He loves me. Will God prevent harm from coming to my family? I don’t know, but I know He is able, and I know He loves me.
This is truth, this is strong, and this alone is what calms my mind anytime I start to rush to the what ifs. It’s protected me from growing bitterness at past circumstances, and gives me peace and hope for the future. I’m reminded of one of my favorite verses in Romans 8:32-
“He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”
God loves me so much, He didn’t even spare His own Son for me. That’s the God who is in control, and that’s what gives me hope. If he can change any circumstance he wants, and He loves me so much he didn’t spare his own Son for me, there must be good from this circumstance, there must be joy that I can find through it all only in Him. This world is scary, but oh what peace to know we have a God who can do anything, and oh how He loves us. Faithfully, unconditionally, and perfectly. This is the hope worth clinging to.