11/25/3025
The world sees strength and power in the mighty acts of nature and life. When the ground shakes in an earthquake, the wind roars during a violent storm, or the forest groans and screams as a fire races through it, but as powerful as these things are Christians see true might and strength in a very different way; we see it in the calm before and after these events. We witness it in the calm before, when all hell is preparing itself, and mounting up against us, and we see it in the still moments just after God Has bridled and overcome the onslaught. These moments reveal God’s strength to us. We see the ultimate strength it takes to gather these catastrophes in the palm of His hand, and then still them so perfectly that we can hear nothing more than His whisper… “Be still”.
““Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!””
Psalm 46:10 ESV
Although the world wields great power, and there is unbelievable strength in life, death, and the horrors that Satan can bring against us, nothing can stand against the power of God who crushes all of these in His mighty hands of love, mercy, and grace.
“And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.”
1 Kings 19:11-12 ESV
We have all lived through times when the power of nature, or some other terrible event, caused our world and lives to be shaken, and the roar in our ears to deafen us. For me there have been several of these acts of nature, and others that have manifest themselves in life altering acts of life and death… and spiritual combat.
I will never forget the night my father died. The house was quiet and the children were settling in for a night’s sleep. All was calm and the world was still. Then it happened, suddenly, and without warning, the ring of the phone jolted me from the silence, and my sister in law’s voice deafened me and caused my ears to roar in disbelief as she said “Your father is dead!” The peace of the evening had vanished, and my world was turned upside down. The rest of that conversation was pushed down inside me, and sounded so far away, as my heart broke.
When I hung up the telephone I was numb, and could barely utter the words as I told Ann the news. Then in the midst of the storm which death had surrounded me with, I heard myself saying that I had to drive to Virginia.
As the plans swirled in my head, and my emotions raced to and fro, I finally retreated to my bedroom to pack my clothes, and wash myself before the long journey. I was moving, going through the paces, but I was detached, and there seemed to be a roar in my ears as I pushed back hard against the reality of that moment.
Finally, I took off my clothes and stepped naked into the shower. There, with the water hitting my face and running over my body, still came, and I wept. Standing vulnerable and searching for comfort I found the stillness once more, and heard the comforting whisper of my Heavenly Father’s voice… it held me in it’s arms and eased my pain.
““Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Matthew 5:4 ESV
The still before our various calamities, and again in their aftermath is more powerful than anything we can otherwise experience. The stillness beforehand strengthens our faith and prepares us for what is to come as God gives all of creation direction, and sets boundaries for the turmoil that is building, and then, afterwards, when the still returns, we find it so quiet and peaceful that even the remnants of our tears fall without making a sound as He whispers “Be still and know that I am God.”
This is the power that Christian’s know, and experience in the presence of God. It happens in moments of mourning, and also when nature is unleashed in all of its fury.
One summer day while fishing alone I was enjoying the peace, calm, and quiet of a sunny afternoon. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky except one small dark one far off in the distance behind me. I was totally relaxed and not a leaf was moving on the trees. The day was perfect.
Then I noticed the breeze picking up and turning around I saw that the cloud had now turned black and reached from far up in the sky down to the ground. Lightening was flashing within it, and it was heading directly towards me. So I pulled my boat up to a high bank and tied up to a tree there. The full fury of the storm came upon me as I got down on my hands and knees and prayed. The wind and rain become so intense that leaves and limbs were falling and my boat was filling up with rainwater. Then as quickly as it had come it passed.
I was bailing out the water when I heard the sound of the storm again, and realized that it had changed direction and was about to come over me again. This time it was even more violent, and trees were falling from the bank and landing around my boat. Once again I went to my hands and knees in the bottom of the body, and lifted up my voice in loud prayer, even more fervently than before. As I prayed the storm passed directly over me, then vanished into a clear blue sky once again.
This time everything went still, the wind stopped blowing, not even a breeze, and not a leaf rustled. I didn’t immediately bail my boat, but knelt there and thanked God, and Jesus Christ for saving me from the storm… I felt the peace, and in the stillness, I heard the whisper of He who had crushed the life from the storm, and thought of Jesus doing this in scripture.
“And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?””
Mark 4:37-40 ESV
This is strength of God, and is beyond measure. Our Lord’s power isn’t founded in violence, or earthly might, but in His peace, calm, and stillness. Men want active rescue; a hero to ride in on a white horse with his guns blazing, to rescue them, but God simply stills the storm with a word, and soothes our heartbreak with a gentle and nearly imperceptible whisper. His power is in the subtle, the calm, the meek, the humble, and yes… the still of our souls as He whispers through the silence to us.
“And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.”
Isaiah 30:21 ESV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for your ultimate power that manifests itself in whispers, and the quiet voice of the meek, the mild, and those who humble themselves before you. As the least shall be first and the great shall be last, so is our perception of true power. Your Word being stronger than the power in its creation. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who can speak all of creation into stillness, and silence it with a single Word. Praised be your name for every way in which you overcome the power of the world. Merciful are you whose grace is poured out on us quietly, yet in all ways sufficient. Wash us clean with the blood of your Son Jesus, and take us quietly into eternity as we walk with Him; silent, and listening to His every word. Call us worthy, and give us powerful new bodies and names as we are transformed and transfigured to be more like Jesus… calm unto death, and still before you.
Rich Forbes