When the Storm Doesn’t Stop… Hello weekend readers. I can’t help but musing on the weather because it has become so bizarre in so many places! Our other camphosts are from Oklahoma and a few days after they arrived a powerful tornado hit their area. So many homes were destroyed or hit hard, but they only lost a fence and two trees. It was like the storm didn’t care for their property they told us, but they were so thankful.

In 2022-23 we have surpassed all records of previous deadly storms and they seem to keep on coming. Our planet is hurting, just as we are, groaning for new life. Just think of the “storms of life” we encounter—so does all of creation. When someone tells me they don’t believe in climate change I wonder what planet they are living on!!

When this destructive weather hits us, the impact is more than our homes, it hits our lives mentally, emotionally, financially, and sadly when loss of life happens. Jesus summed it up that our lives will not be easy, trials and temptations will come and go until we rest with him in heaven. In other words, be ready for storms of all kinds – ugh!

It reminds me of the weeping prophet, Jeremiah. He had a tough time, often depressed, and, as a friend of mine says, “as gloomy as a giraffe with a neck ache.” I get that as I live with constant neck problems and they are no fun. But, back to Jeremiah, the storms he was encountering were deadly. Jerusalem was under siege, his nation under duress and his entire world was collapsing like a sand castle in a typhoon. He got so angry and depressed he began faulting God for this mess. He even blamed God for his physical ailments as well, lamenting to the Almighty “You have made my flesh and my skin waste away, and broken my bones.” (Lamentation 3:4)

Like Jeremiah, our heart ache. Our faith becomes puny instead of strong and we are sinking. It’s so easy to create our own pity-party. Of course, like Jeremiah, when we do that no one wants to be around us to help or comfort us and we sink further into the muck. However, Jeremiah didn’t stay that way! Yes, he had a hard climb out of his rut, but the power of the Holy Spirit led him to remember that in God there was always hope.

Jeremiah shifted his gaze off of his troubles, shifted his attention from the stormy world he was in and wrote one of the most beautiful words we have in Scripture: “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentation 3:20-23 ESV).

We have 4 powerful tools from Jeremiah to put into practice for the storms that will indeed come into our lives:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases.
God’s mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning.
Great is God’s faithfulness–always.
The Lord is our portion and it never ceases in our lives.

The next time your storm doesn’t want to cease, remind yourself of those powerful tools. Each one is filled with encouragement, hopefulness, and the knowledge of knowing our God is indeed almighty in all things and all situations. Nothing gets by God and all things are filtered through God.

Let’s take a tip from Jeremiah when he was depressed and worn out in his storm—let’s change our focus to the HOPE we have in Christ. Let’s take our eyes off the storm and embrace encouragement while God brings us through the storm with his perfect strength, wisdom, and faithfulness. Great is your faithfulness, O my Lord and Savior, AMEN!