|
GLEANINGS FROM THE WORD Experiencing an extraordinary God in ordinary life Issue # 368 December 30, 2001 Racing The Storm I raced down the lake in my boat, trying to outrun the approaching storm. I didn’t relish spending the thought of spending the night up the lake, sitting under a tree trying to keep warm and dry. The wind picked up and the waves began pounding against the lands edge with an increasingly relentless fury. The trees along the shore whipped back and forth as the wind howled down the lake. The sky grew blacker, and the thunder louder. Flashes of lightning lit the sky. The mood seemed to pass from peace and tranquility to anger and violence. I was soon going to have to beach the boat and find shelter because the storm was catching up quickly and with all the lightning, it wasn’t going to be safe out on the water. Just before the rain and hail hit, I beached the boat and got back in my van. I had made it just in time. The storm raged and pounded for hours, but it didn’t matter because I was warm and dry, sheltered from the storm. It wasn’t nearly as threatening from my place of safety. Sometimes our lives can be that way. We race desperately to keep ahead of the problems that seem to be looming on the horizon. Sometimes we outrace them and sometimes we spend time in the midst of the fury and it seems like the storm will never end. When we have a place of shelter, somewhere to turn, the storms don’t seem as bad. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that hail will fall all over Egypt--on men and animals and on everything growing in the fields of Egypt." When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed down to the ground. So the LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt; hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields--both men and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree. The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were. Exodus 9:22-26 NIV The Lord protected His own from the storm. He continues to do so today. Sometimes, we have to go through the storms, but He stays with us. The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Psalm 9:9 NIV Either way, He provides comfort and refuge. Are you going through stormy times? Do you see storm clouds on the horizon? Trust God to provide the shelter you need. Until next time, may you find refuge and comfort in the arms of the Living God. God bless. Kevin Are you facing life’s trials without the help of God? You don’t need to. Email me and I’ll share a few Bible verses that explain why a relationship with Him is so important and a prayer that will make it possible. Don’t battle life alone, when there is a God who wants to help you. You don’t have to be perfect or have it all together, He’ll meet you where you are if you just ask Him to. To share your thoughts on this issue of Gleanings, or to share prayer concerns email us at corbin_writer@hotmail.com. At Gleanings, we have a dedicated team of prayer warriors and all prayer concerns are kept strictly confidential. If you enjoyed this issue of Gleanings From The Word, email it, in its entirety, to a friend. For information on use of Gleanings in your church newsletter or other situations please visit the permissions page on our website
 © 2001 K.F. "Kevin" Corbin All Rights Reserved SUBSCRIBE TO GLEANINGS FOR FREE
|
||||
