Standing near the storm
I've always been fascinated by storms.
My wife will hunker down in a closet or a basement with our daughter and enough supplies to survive a week alone. I will stay upstairs or in the living room staring out the door or windows watching the storm. I love seeing the wind, hearing the thunder, watching the lightning, and observing the wrath of a booming thunderstorm.
I've always said if I could be out in the middle of nowhere, and know that no one would get hurt or that no property would be destroyed, I'd love to witness a tornado up close and in person. Storms just fascinate me. I'll admit I'm a bit of a weather geek.
That being said, two weeks ago I was reminded of the fury and violence of severe storms. The neighborhood where my wife and I lived in Crittenden five years ago was hit hard by a tornado. Some homes were destroyed, but almost every home has some kind of damage. When we served in Eastern Kentucky, I regularly drove through the town of Salyersville on my way to Lexington, Northern Kentucky or Owensboro. It was wiped out by a tornado. The restaurants and gas stations I would frequent on my way out of town no longer stand. The town, along with West Liberty, was leveled by an EF3 tornado. Lives were lost. Homes were destroyed. Life in that area will never be the same again.
As I see those images, I'm reminded of how powerful a storm can be and how devastating the consequences are. When a town takes a direct hit from a storm like that, destruction is left in its wake. Storms are powerful and violent and destructive.
In Psalm 29, David compares God to the power of storms. His voice thunders over the water. His power twists and mangles trees, leaving nothing but splinters. Like lightning, he can strike without warning. God is powerful.
Yet, despite that power and fury, God allows us to get close to him, though his son Jesus. I would never dare get close to a tornado. I like watching storms, but if I see rotation, I'm heading to safety. However, I'm allowed to be in the very presence of God without the deadly consequences.
What are those consequences? Moses was not allowed to look at God, only the back of his presence, lest he die. The Jewish leaders begged for God to speak through Moses instead of them, for fear of death.
Because of Christ, I can enter the very throne room of God and not die. I am justified by faith and can commune with God without the consequences of death.
Yes, God is powerful, but he is also loving and merciful and full of grace. Thanks to Jesus, I can stand in his presence, sense his power and KNOW that he is God. I can be near the storm, but not face the destructive fury. I serve an AWESOME God.
My wife will hunker down in a closet or a basement with our daughter and enough supplies to survive a week alone. I will stay upstairs or in the living room staring out the door or windows watching the storm. I love seeing the wind, hearing the thunder, watching the lightning, and observing the wrath of a booming thunderstorm.
I've always said if I could be out in the middle of nowhere, and know that no one would get hurt or that no property would be destroyed, I'd love to witness a tornado up close and in person. Storms just fascinate me. I'll admit I'm a bit of a weather geek.
That being said, two weeks ago I was reminded of the fury and violence of severe storms. The neighborhood where my wife and I lived in Crittenden five years ago was hit hard by a tornado. Some homes were destroyed, but almost every home has some kind of damage. When we served in Eastern Kentucky, I regularly drove through the town of Salyersville on my way to Lexington, Northern Kentucky or Owensboro. It was wiped out by a tornado. The restaurants and gas stations I would frequent on my way out of town no longer stand. The town, along with West Liberty, was leveled by an EF3 tornado. Lives were lost. Homes were destroyed. Life in that area will never be the same again.
As I see those images, I'm reminded of how powerful a storm can be and how devastating the consequences are. When a town takes a direct hit from a storm like that, destruction is left in its wake. Storms are powerful and violent and destructive.
In Psalm 29, David compares God to the power of storms. His voice thunders over the water. His power twists and mangles trees, leaving nothing but splinters. Like lightning, he can strike without warning. God is powerful.
Yet, despite that power and fury, God allows us to get close to him, though his son Jesus. I would never dare get close to a tornado. I like watching storms, but if I see rotation, I'm heading to safety. However, I'm allowed to be in the very presence of God without the deadly consequences.
What are those consequences? Moses was not allowed to look at God, only the back of his presence, lest he die. The Jewish leaders begged for God to speak through Moses instead of them, for fear of death.
Because of Christ, I can enter the very throne room of God and not die. I am justified by faith and can commune with God without the consequences of death.
Yes, God is powerful, but he is also loving and merciful and full of grace. Thanks to Jesus, I can stand in his presence, sense his power and KNOW that he is God. I can be near the storm, but not face the destructive fury. I serve an AWESOME God.
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