Safe in the Storm

“Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance” (Psalm 32:7).

Have you ever noticed how differently children and adults react to rain? We grumble as we hunt our umbrellas and then allow the grayness of the day to darken our mood. While adults gingerly dodge puddles, a child will jump with glee to make the biggest splash possible. What do wet feet matter when one is having fun!

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, “Into each life some rain may fall, some days must be dark and dreary.” None of us escape the rainy days of trouble. The drops may fall as light, gentle showers that barely slow us down. Other times a steady downpour will last for hours or even days, soaking us through and through. Severe storms with lightning, high winds, or flooding cause us to fear. We feel buffeted from every side and sense danger all around.

The Old Testament character Naomi was battered by a series of severe storms during her life. Because of famine in Israel, her husband took the family to Moab, no doubt hoping for better conditions. The Bible does not tell us how long it was before another storm left Naomi a widow with two sons to care for alone. Later both sons married wives from Moab, a people of false gods. Perhaps for a time life went well and Naomi thought the heavy rains of trouble had passed, but it was not to be. One son and then the other died. She was now alone except for her two Moabite daughters-in-law. (Read Ruth chapter one.)

Do any of Naomi’s troubles sound familiar? Financial setbacks. Uprooted from all that is familiar. The death of a spouse. Children who marry unbelievers. The loss of a child. An uncertain future.  Like Naomi, do you feel, “I went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty” (Ruth 1:21).

Being a Christian does not exempt one from life’s struggles. Matthew 5:45 says that “he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Trouble comes to everyone, saint or sinner.

How do we keep from being swept away when the rains become torrential? How do we learn to laugh again? The words of David in Psalm 63 give us insight on how to find joy even in times of trouble.

• He prayed. It was David’s habit to seek God early each day; his soul thirsted for God (verse 1).
• He perceived. David spent time in the house of God and thus understood God’s power and glory (verse 2).
• He praised. David entered into joyful praise and blessed the Lord (verses 3-5).
• He pondered. He meditated on God during the long, dark hours of the night (verse 6).
• He persisted. He did not give up but hid himself under the protection of the Lord and rejoiced in that place of safety (verse 7).
• He pursued. His soul followed hard after the Lord, and he stayed as near to Him as possible (verse 8).

Yes, we can find peace and joy when the rain falls upon us because we know God is our place of refuge. “Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah” (Psalm 32:7).

It is raining—but we are kept safe by the One who walks with us in the storm.

Thank You, Lord, for keeping me safe while the storms of life rage around me. You are my security, my hiding place. I do not have to fear the severity of the storm when You are with me.