GOD BRINGS THE STORM AND
PROTECTS US THROUGH IT
Psalm 46:4-7
4 There is a river
whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation
of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst
of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when
morning dawns.
6 The nations rage,
the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice,
the earth melts.
7 The Lord of
hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our
fortress.
Selah
Here, the psalmist begins
to describe the comfort and peace of living in the presence and care of God.
The waters of the presence of God are streams that bring joy, compared to the
waters of verse three, that were overwhelming.
The city of God is a place
of refuge and care. Where God dwells, people cannot be moved or overcome. Yes,
the nations can rage, but when God speaks, everything stops.
Why do we so quickly lose sight of God when trouble comes? Do you remember when the storm came while
Jesus was in a boat with His disciples?
Mark 4:35-41
On that day, when evening had come, he said to
them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd,
they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with
him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into
the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern,
asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not
care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and
said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased,
and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are
you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with
great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind
and the sea obey him?”
Did you notice that it was
Jesus Who asked the disciples to go on the boat? Did He know that there would
be a storm? Did He know that it would become dangerous? Was He surprised by
their reactions?
The apostles had been with
Jesus; they had already watched Him perform miracles. When they asked Jesus if
He cared, they probably had more doubt about His interest in them, than about His
ability to help them. And even His help was probably expected more in human
terms than in the miraculous.
But all it took was a word
from Jesus, and the storm calmed down. At God’s word, men were resurrected,
people were healed. Jesus’ response exposes the problem: the disciples lacked
faith. Their time with Jesus had not increased their trust in Him.
We tend to ask the same
absurd question the disciples asked. The absurdity of the question is this: why
would we wonder if God brought us into the boat to die, when we know that He
died to bring us into His eternal care?! When God looks at our reactions to
trials of life, does he ask us why we have such little faith? How quickly our
minds focus on the wrong direction (ourselves rather than God) and how quickly
we are enveloped by fear. Oh God, replace our fear with faith! We need God to enable
us to be heavenly-minded.
The psalmist reminded the
Israelites that God was with them! And God is with us! He goes before us in
every circumstance; there are eternal purposes in every event He permits.
His love for us culminated
in the death of His beloved Son. He can change our circumstances with one word,
but if He chooses not to, that means it is more profitable for us to go through
the trial. As long as we rebel, the trial has not produced God’s desired
effect. As I look back at very difficult times in my life, times when I thought
I was a victim (and too often acted like one), I now see them as precious. I
know my heart, and I know that there will be more difficulties; my natural
response will be to think that I don’t deserve them or that I have already suffered
enough. My hope is that my rebellious reactions will be overcome by faith, that
my desire to be like Christ will overpower my desire for comfort, and that my
desire for sanctification will overpower my natural desire to please my flesh.
We are in the boat with
Christ! That should keep us grateful and rejoicing every day!
This psalm has been
inspired by God to help us think rightly in the midst of our trials. May we
repent quickly when we rebel, and find the peace that God intended for us all
along! How will you apply this truth to your life today?
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