A Shelter in the Storms of Life Sandra Fischer
“…He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” – Hebrews 13:5b NKJV
When I lived in Indiana tornadoes were a regular summer occurrence; here in North Carolina, where I live now, hurricanes visit us occasionally. I think about how other storms–emotional, physical, and spiritual—come into our lives. Some, like tornadoes, are sudden and unpredictable; others, like hurricanes, give us time to prepare. Regardless of the storms we experience, scripture tells us of their certainty. Jesus said, “In this world you will have tribulation. . .” (John 16:33a NKJV). He didn’t say “might” or “could”, the key word is “will.” He finishes with words asking us to have a paradoxical attitude: “. . .but be of good cheer. . .” If he stopped there, we might ask, “Say, what?” But then, he underscores why we can accept assured tribulation; he says, “I have overcome the world.”
When we consider the pain and destruction storms bring, we struggle with being “of good cheer” amidst them. It’s a matter of focus. We need to realize, as Peter did when he walked on stormy water, if we take our eyes off Jesus, our faith falters, and we slip into the roiling waters of doubt. Even so, Jesus is there to lift us up and keep us.
No matter the storm, we believers in Christ can rest assured that Jesus was with us before the storm, is with us in the storm and will be with us when it’s over. We have a strong shelter, the Rock of Ages on whom we stand. We can sing the old hymn that says it well, “Oh, Jesus is the Rock in a weary land, a Shelter in the time of storm.” Sandra is a Faithwriters Platinum member, author of “Seasons in the Garden.” Contact |
