Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Safe Harbor
By Tracy Smith

God is our refuge and strength,
    always ready to help in times of trouble.
Psalm 46:1 (NLT)

Almost seven years ago, the town my sister’s family and my parents live in was hit by a tornado. My dad’s neighbor enjoys watching storms and told my dad he was watching the storm without fear until he saw the large pine trees in my dad’s yard bend and touch the ground then immediately bend and touch the ground on the opposite side! At that point, he knew it was time to get in the basement! No more time for watching, it was time to seek shelter. [1]

We all have those times in our life  - -  when we feel storm-tossed and know we need to find a safe harbor. The storms vary in intensity and strength, but all involve change and uncertainty and we need to find the calm in the storm.

Where do we go to seek shelter?

If you read Mark 4:35-41, the disciples and Jesus are caught in a storm while on a boat. The disciples are scared and afraid they are going to die. In their fear, they wake up Jesus and He commands the winds and waves to be still.

In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul shares that he pleaded with the Lord three times to remove a “thorn of his flesh.” Something that tormented him; something Paul really just wanted gone from his life. The Lord did not remove this storm from Paul’s life but declared, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9, NIV).

These examples show that sometimes the Lord chooses to calm the storm and sometimes he wants you to remember to cling to Him through the storm - -  for His strength to be sufficient for you.  Either way, He is there and He is your safe harbor through the tides of change.

GOING DEEPER:
1.      Do you see Jesus as a safe harbor in the storm? If not, please read the Scripture listed in this devotional or do your own Google search for verses. Pray about what you read.
2.      Think of a time in your past when you felt storm-tossed. With the perspective of time, how do you now see that God was with you through it all?


FURTHER READING:

Along with being a wife and mother to two teenage sons, Tracy is a ministry assistant at Oakwood and works with a great group of Junior High girls.


[1] to see pictures of the damage Eagle, WI sustained in the tornado, click here.