What To Do In A Storm

Day 225:  Job 38 & Ezra 9

There are a lot of storm references in the Bible.

• Imagine the storms during creation
• The storms that brought about the flood of Noah's day
• It was a storm that destroyed the home of Job's son, killing all of his children
• Elijah witnessed incredible storms while in the mountains waiting to hear God's voice
• The disciples thought they would die during several storm on the Sea of Galilee - once while Jesus was sleeping in the boat and again when they saw Jesus walking on the water
• There was a pretty big storm when Jesus died while on the cross and 
• There will be a pretty fantastic storm when the sky gets ripped open when Jesus returns to establish His eternal Kingdom.

There were lots of natural storms in the bible but perhaps no one experienced a greater personal storm than Job.   Over the last 37 chapter in Job we've heard about how Job's difficulties began and we've heard reasons, ideas and opinions about "why" from Job's friends.  

But now it gets to my favorite part of the story of Job's life, when God begins to answer.  And I love the first verse here:  "Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm."

Once again we see God connected to a storm.  And I'm not sure whether it was a natural storm (there is no indication that it was storming from the text) or if it was more like, the Lord spoke to Job in the midst of his storm... either way the storm is happening.

I have lived in the mid-West for 24 years now and we get some pretty good storms.  Thunderstorms and hail and tornadoes and even straight-line winds.  Storms are pretty impressive and I have often taken to standing on the porch to watch the sky as the storms begin to form.  I've even had occasion to see a few funnels begin to form and stretch down to the earth.  And I even got to see the aftermath of the Joplin Missouri tornado when our church took supplies to the struggling area.

Storms represent well the chaos of life.  The driving winds and soaking rain.  The damaging and fire-starting lightning and even the darkness.  In light of comedian and actor Robin Williams suicide we're all keenly aware of the darkness that often accompanies storms.  When the storm is raging we're not sure we're going to survive and when it is over we often wonder if we'll ever recover.  

That's why it's interesting to me that God chooses to speak "out of the storm."  And I wonder if there is something God wants us to catch in this.  God speaks out of the storm.  When our world is falling apart and we don't know if we'll survive - at our darkest hour and in the most dreaded of moments God speaks out of the storm.  I think there is a reason for this.  I think God wants us to understand that there is no power in heaven or on earth that is big enough, strong enough or devastating enough to scare God away from desiring to be right there with us.  Romans 8:35 says, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?"  

Storms don't only represent the chaos of life they represent the power of God over the storm as seen when Jesus calms the storms with the words, "peace. be still."  The power of God in the storm as Elijah witness the rocks split and the mountains heave.  And the power of God through the storm as we see in Job.  

In the midst of your storm - whatever it is and no matter how black, wet or powerful it is God is speaking out of that storm something that you need to hear.  Listen.  I wonder if the outcome of the events of that led to Robin Williams death would be different if he had heard God out of the storm... 

Today, in whatever storm you face at home, at work or just inside yourself God is speaking out of your storm and into your life, listen.