Matthew 8:25-26 “And they went and woke him up, saying, ‘Lord, save us!  We are perishing!’  And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you of little faith?’  Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm.”

Storms can be scary.

A few years ago there was a tornado that touched down just a couple of miles from my house.  The tornado sirens had warned us and we were hanging out in the basement of our house listening to the wind howl and the golf ball sized hail slam into the side of our house.  The kids sat with me under blankets and we were all wishing the storm would stop.

I have never weathered a worse storm than this; I have only seen them on TV or read about them in the news.  They can be devastating.  I can easily imagine myself crying out to the Lord in a hurricane.

Spiritual storms are more terrifying to me.  There is no emergency broadcast system to warn us that the storm is coming.  We are not usually paying attention to hear any warnings the Holy Spirit is giving us.  We are coasting along in blue skies and gazing at the clouds in the sky trying to figure out what shapes they look like.  Before we know it we are in gale force winds and our boat is rocking and being tossed around like a rag doll.
Whether you are in the midst of the storm to beat all storms or sailing smooth on glassy blue waters, this passage reminds us that we are not alone.  Jesus, Son of the one true God, is along for the ride.  Pay attention and stay focused but do not despair.  Trust in the Lord, He will bring you through whatever happens.

Lord,

Storms seem so destructive to us but after the storm has gone there is renewal and peace in its wake.  Help us cling to this when we are being tossed around so wildly.  Protect us from damage and destruction through the storm; keep us safe in your presence.  We put our trust in you Lord.  You remain with us always.  Amen.