The week of April 8 was Severe Weather Awareness Week in Minnesota. Each year the National Weather Service makes an effort in every state to draw attention to the dangers of severe weather.
At some point in all of our lives we have seen the devastation that severe weather can cause. We have seen destroyed homes, broken trees, and ruined crops. Storms are something that we all have learned to take seriously.
Several years ago, my family and I attended Rise Fest in Sheldon, Iowa. The tornado sirens went off, and as a family we were ushered into the women’s bathroom. The evening ended with everyone being safe, and the festival resumed. That storm came and went and gave our family a memory.
There are even storm stories in the Bible. One of those we find in Matthew, Chapter 8. This was a furious storm that came up without warning. For Jesus and the disciples, there were no sirens, just wind and waves. In the midst of all this chaos, Jesus was sleeping in the back of the boat. The storm was severe and the disciples, many of whom were seasoned fishermen, were afraid. The waves battered their boat and began to sweep over the side, and they became more convinced that they would drown. Finally, someone went and woke up Jesus, asking him to save them. Immediately Jesus rebuked the wind and the waves, and it was completely calm.
Severe weather isn’t the only kind of storm we face in life. The storms we face can be social, political, familial, or occupational.
Severe storms, no matter what form they manifest themselves in, are never welcome. They have the potential to injure us, and they drain us of our energy and resources. Like the disciples in Matthew 8, they strike fear in our hearts, and we know we cannot stop them.
Thankfully no matter what storm we are facing, we can turn to Jesus. He alone has the power to still the storm. As we face difficulty and uncertainty going forward, there is no need to fear. In fact, we must have faith in the power of Jesus. He is with us, and all we need to do is turn our trouble over to him and ask for help. There is no reason for us to believe that the storms we face will overcome us.
When we see problems in our communities, when we see problems in our state and in our nation, don’t lose hope. The fact is that Jesus is seeing all those things, too. We are not alone in the boat! We are not abandoned in the storm! Our faithful Savior promises never to leave us or forsake us.