In the Storm

When the spiritual and emotional storms rage against us, we can abide in Christ and take refuge in Him.  There is a powerful story in Matthew 8 that illustrates how we can adopt His peace.  We can
read:
23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.
24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep.
25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!"
26 But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
27 So the men marveled, saying, "Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"

When we feel overpowered, we can turn to the power of the God of the universe, and in His strength, we can push back against the oppression that can overwhelm us.  The challenges of life can make us feel powerless, but we can be assured there is power in the Lord.  Jesus is not insensitive to our needs and our struggles, and is near to us when we suffer.  He is the One who spoke calm to the winds and the sea - He gives us the strength to stand and the words of life that can sustain us in our difficulty.

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Our faith in Christ can help to determine our attitude when tragedy strikes and our response to those
things that cause us to be anxious and afraid. Psalm 34 states:
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed.
6 This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles.

It's important to adopt the attitude that where there is a crisis, we can seek to see Christ.  He is our ever-present help in time of trouble, as the Bible says, and He is our source of hope when we have experienced devastation and loss.

Nashville, Tennessee is the heart of the country and Christian music universe.  So, you would expect musicians who live in the region to be very motivated to help out when a destructive event like major tornadoes rumble through the area and cut a path of destruction, as was experienced last week.  At least 24 lives have been reported lost throughout Middle Tennessee as a result of the deadly storms.

The Christian Post reported:

Award-winning Christian artist Michael W. Smith is among many who are on the ground helping with recovery efforts.

“Disaster relief here in a devastated Nashville and middle Tennessee. But we are Nashville strong! … Let the church rise up,” Smith wrote on Instagram as he showed a photo of his family packing lunches for volunteers.

On Wednesday morning, the artist was in Mt. Juliet with the evangelical aid organization Samaritan’s Purse, urging others to join the volunteer efforts.

The article points out that not only Samaritan's Purse, but also Convoy of Hope and Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief are working in the aftermath.  And, a number of area churches have stepped up.  The Christian Post article relates: "Some churches have opened their doors to provide shelter, including Victory Baptist Church, Mount Juliet, as reported by Baptist and Reflector."

Christian musical artist Kari Jobe related that her church was open to serve, as well.  Another Christian Post article called attention to her Instagram post:

“My city,” Jobe wrote along with several photos of the damage. “So devastated for so many friends and business owners today. We will rebuild. My phone is full of texts back and forth with friends checking on each other. So grateful for community.”

The singer then shared information for those in need of assistance, “If you’re in need of help- our church @thebelongingco is here for you. Email relief@thebelonging.co praying for all who lost loved ones and homes. We are with you.”

That article included words of encouragement from a variety of Nashville-based artists.  You may have seen the iconic picture of a destroyed building with the words, "I Believe in Nashville" on it.  That is the Basement East, where Tenth Avenue North played its latest album release concert.  According to the Post, lead singer Mike Donehey posted a picture of it and wrote: "We’re all a bit stunned as we all live in East Nashville, and felt the windows shaking last night, but relieved to report we’re all ok and our houses are good. Please pray for everyone affected by this. We lived through the flood ten years ago and can assure you Nashville knows how to come together in tragedy. Hope in the flood and the fire. Appreciate everyone’s concern..."

The Post also said:

Steven Curtis Chapman shared a Bible verse of comfort for his city, quoting Psalms 34:18, “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted & saves the crushed in spirit.”

These actions and comments remind us that we can certainly look for the presence of Christ in crisis.  It could be a tornado.  It could be the threat of an infectious disease.   And, the personal crises we all face can cause anxiety and make us feel threatened and fearful.  When we are afraid, as the Scriptures teach, we can put our trust in Him.

We can seek to know and experience the nearness of God in the storms of life.  Life's storms can certainly blind our vision, but we can know that God is there and can look to Him to provide us the strength to withstand and to perhaps navigate out of the storms we face - just to move the needle, sort of speak, can provide some relief from our tortured souls.

And, in all things, the Church can reflect the character of Christ.  We can seek out opportunities to serve; as Michael W. Smith said, the church can "rise up."  Serving can display the glory of God, and can even help us when we face our personal storms, as we take our minds off our situation and activate the love of the Lord in helping others.