How to survive the storms

If you live in North America or Europe, chances are that your life is difficult right now.

Bitter cold and deep snow mean that life is grinding to a halt in many places. The same storms then cross the Atlantic and dump vast quantities of water on the already drenched UK and Europe. The gales whip the sea into a frenzy, and everyone hunkers down and tries to keep warm and dry. I am keeping a daily watch on flood warnings – my aged Dad lives right next to the River Severn in Worcester (UK) and may have to move out at any time.

When the normal pattern of our lives is disrupted by snow, wind, tempest and torrential rain, our reaction is to focus on our own needs and immediate comfort. It's just survival instinct.

But the Scriptures suggest we should ponder a bigger reality.

When the natural world shows its dark side, it reveals our vulnerability and weakness in the face of overwhelming power. But those who know the sovereign creator see beyond the immediate dangers and difficulties to the power and purpose of the God who made and controls the weather.

The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet. Nahum 1 v 3

Storms are a regular Bible picture of the greatness of God, and the reality of the coming judgment.

So when we see all human endeavour brought to a standstill, it should puncture the false confidence we have in the power and ability of humankind, and give us a dose of reality about our place in the scheme of things. We glimpse in the fury of the storm the power and majesty of our great God.

But we also glimpse the coming judgment. But notice what aspect of God's judgment Nahum draws our attention to in this verse. He is slow to anger. The storms are troubling to us – because they are a relative rarity! Normally we enjoy God's blessing with regular rainfall, sunshine and the progress of the seasons.

It's as though these storms are telling us a bigger story. I am the God who loves to give and bless. But there is a judgement coming.

So as we swap stories about fallen trees, failed journeys and watch the elements unfold, let's remind ourselves and each other of the bigger picture. There is a storm coming that only those under the secure protection of Christ will survive...