Praise You in the Storm

Read: Matthew 8:22-26

Here it is a new year and our hope is everything in life will flow smoothly. Yet, the reality is that we go through life with the calm and the storms flowing to and fro. Just as soon as we experience the calm of life, unexpectedly the storm comes raging over us. As I look back through my life it is permeated with this ebb and flow between calm and storm.

However, as I reflect, there is one thing that has remained constant and unchanging in the journey: God’s love for humanity. In spite of the storms, God’s love in Christ remains present and sure. Recently, my oldest grandson, Eric “EJ,” wrote an essay that encompasses this presence and assurance of God’s love in three things he knows:

Three things that I know about God

Three things I know about God are that he knows everything in the world, he put Jesus in my heart and God loves me. I know that God knows about everything going on in the world because he can be in every place at the same time. Jeremiah 23:23 says I am God who is near and not far away. I know God put Jesus in my heart because John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world, he gave his one and only Son so whoever believes in him will live life eternally.” I know God loves me because John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world” and I am part of the world. I also know this because John 6:44 says “No one can come to the father unless he draws them to Him.” This means God chose me. If he chose me, he must love. Psalm 139:14 says I will give thanks to you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I praise God everyday because he made me in amazing and wonderful ways. Wouldn’t you like to know God like I do?

By Eric Hohler (age 8)

EJ’s wisdom is assurance for all of us. If we can only remember these three things we can successfully ride through the calm and the storm and praise God. As Casting Crowns sings:

And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

From “Praise You in This Storm”
words by Mark Hall/music by Mark Hall and Bernie Herms