From my book Daily Prayer 2, a reminder that even in the toughest moments of life, when the storm clouds are at their most forbidding, God is with us.
Read
Lord God, show mercy to me, be merciful, for my soul seeks shelter in you; I will find safety beneath the shadow of your wings until the destructive storms have passed over. Psalm 57:1
Ponder
I was on holiday with my family on the Isle of Wight and, having walked on a sunny morning to the quaint old town of Yarmouth, we were setting off on the two-mile stroll back to the car along an old railway track – usually one of my favourite walks. No sooner had we started, though, than the heavens opened and the rain came pouring down. There was nowhere to shelter, nowhere to escape the deluge, and within minutes we were drenched, left with no alternative than to soldier grimly on, ignoring the squelching shoes, sopping clothes and soaking hair. Rarely, if ever, had we been so wet. But then, a mile or so further on, the skies suddenly cleared and the sun came out, bathing us in its warmth. Before long, aided by the breeze, our clothes were gently steaming, and by the time we reached the end of the path, astonishingly we were almost dry, our unwelcome soaking already starting to become just a memory.
In life, storms can suddenly overtake us, catching us by surprise. One moment we’re stepping along nicely and the next we’re up against it, overwhelmed by trouble, anxiety, fear and hurt, and there seems to be no end in sight. If that’s where you find yourself, don’t despair, for as quickly as they come, so the storms can lift, and sunshine return once more. That’s what the writer of the psalms above and below found, and it’s with the same confidence that we can face the future, assured that, by God’s grace, adversity will not be allowed to have the final word. However fiercely the storm may blow, the light of God’s love will finally break through, for nothing in life or in death can ever ultimately extinguish it.
Ask yourself
What storms have you been through over the course of your life? Did it seem at the time as though there was no prospect of respite? Did the storm suddenly lift or gradually clear?
Pray
Gracious God, hear my prayer for those who are battered by the storms of life, those who suddenly find themselves caught in a downpour of despair, fear, sorrow or suffering. Reach out to all who are overwhelmed by trouble and assure them that, though the clouds hang heavy, the world seems dark, and the rain beats relentlessly upon them, your light is still shining and will eventually break through once more into their lives. In that promise may I likewise trust when, as they surely will, storms break also upon me. However distant you may sometimes seem, however hopeless life may feel, teach me to trust you, confident that the clouds will break and the sun will burst through once more. Amen.
Remember
They called out to the Lord in their time of need, and he rescued them from their troubles; he quietened the storm and stilled the rolling waves. And they rejoiced in the tranquillity he had brought them, for leading them safely through to sanctuary. Psalm 107:28-30
Close
Remind me, Lord, that after rain comes sunshine; after darkness, light; after tears, laughter; after despair, hope. Amen.