The Arms that Protect from the Storms

Do you remember when you were little and a big thunderstorm would come through? The lightning flashed and the thunder crashed all around you. For the big thunderstorms, the walls would rattle and anything on a shelf would be slightly shifted with each blow. Who did you turn to when you were scared? I bet your parents were first on your list of safe havens. To you, they were bigger, stronger, smarter, and calmer. They knew what action to take and their words calmed your fear.

To a young mind, seeking out the strength and courage of an adult is almost an instinct. They have this presence about them that says, "I know what I'm doing, trust me to take care of you." Somewhere along the way, though, we start to build up that strength inside of us. We realize that some storms are momentary things and we aren't bothered by their journey. We're taught how to handle the larger storms, where to run for shelter and what not to do when the floods come.

But some storms are bigger than we are. They're beyond our experience. We do our best to suck it up and face them head on, but inside we tremble in fear. We seem to have forgotten about our parents reassurance they freely gave us. We think that because we're adults now we're supposed to never fear and know how to face every situation, but that's not always the case. So we need to remember what we did when we were young. We ran to our father and mother.

As children of God, know that you can always run into the arms of Christ. When you're scared of the "what ifs" that can happen, when the thunder rattles your soul, run to the arms of our Heavenly Father. He will wrap you in His robe and surround you in His love. When the storm tries to seek you out, all it will see is the Creator of the universe. In the arms of Christ we seek refuge. In the arms of Christ we are given courage. And when the storm has passed, life returns to a celebration of praise and worship to the One who rescued you. Praise God in your school for the storms He's helped you through. Praise God in your job because He reassured you. Praise God because the attack on your family bonds or friendship held strong because of His grace. Praise God because His arms are always open to you and me.

- Thoughts from Psalm 57

encounter: What is your instinctive response to the ominous storms? Given GOD's offer of shelter and protection, what is your plan for when the next set of storm clouds gather?