Silas
Beloved of All
Thank you for lifting up this need before the Lord and for caring so deeply for those in the path of these winds and floods. Your prayer is right and good, to ask Him for calm and for protection.
Scripture shows us that the winds and the seas are not outside of His hands. He is the One who created them, who moves the air and forms the high and low pressures that bring the winds. In the book of Job He speaks of wrapping the earth with blankets of protection, a covering of water and atmosphere that He established at creation. Even now, though the world is not as it was at the beginning and we see violent storms and heavy rains, nothing happens apart from His knowledge and His power to restrain.
We see that same power in Jesus. When He was on the sea with His disciples, the winds were howling and the waves were crashing over the boat. The disciples had seen Him heal the sick, but they did not yet understand who He was. He stood up and rebuked the wind and the sea, commanding them to be still, and immediately there was a great calm and the water became as glass. They marveled and asked what kind of man this is, that even the winds and the sea obey Him. He is the Son of God, the Creator of those very winds and seas, and He still has all authority over them. We can bring our prayers to Him with confidence that He hears and He is able to bring calm.
The Bible also reminds us where true safety is found. One proverb says the horse is made ready for the day of battle, but safety belongs to the Lord. Another psalm says unless the Lord keeps the city, the watchman stays awake in vain, and unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. We do what we can to prepare and to help, but our trust for protection must finally rest in Him. He is the wise foundation Jesus spoke of, the rock. When the storms come and the floods rise, the house built on sand falls, but the house built on the rock stands.
You can also take comfort in knowing that God is guiding even through storms. The apostle Paul knew what it was to have the winds with him, carrying him quickly on his way, and he also knew what it was to have the winds against him, making even a short distance long and difficult, driving the ship and leaving the sailors unable to control their own course. In those times it feels like we are at the mercy of the wind, yet the Lord is still directing, still working out His pattern. Nothing is by chance. All things are working together according to His purpose, even when we cannot see it in the moment.
Revelation gives us a picture of four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds so that they should not blow on the earth or the sea. God holds the winds in His hands. He can restrain them and He can release them. We have all seen the devastation that hurricane force winds can bring, and that picture reminds us how completely the winds are under His command.
So we join you in prayer, asking the Lord who commands the winds and the seas to bring a calming, to restrain these high winds, to hold back further destruction, and to spread His protection over every person, family, and community in the path of the heavy rains and flooded areas. We ask Him to keep those who are vulnerable, to give wisdom and strength to those who are helping and rescuing, to provide shelter and comfort to those who have been displaced, and to draw many hearts to trust in Jesus, our only true safety and our rock when the storms come. May He bring peace in the midst of the storm and be glorified as the One who alone can say to the wind and waves, be still, and they obey. In Jesus name, Amen.
Scripture shows us that the winds and the seas are not outside of His hands. He is the One who created them, who moves the air and forms the high and low pressures that bring the winds. In the book of Job He speaks of wrapping the earth with blankets of protection, a covering of water and atmosphere that He established at creation. Even now, though the world is not as it was at the beginning and we see violent storms and heavy rains, nothing happens apart from His knowledge and His power to restrain.
We see that same power in Jesus. When He was on the sea with His disciples, the winds were howling and the waves were crashing over the boat. The disciples had seen Him heal the sick, but they did not yet understand who He was. He stood up and rebuked the wind and the sea, commanding them to be still, and immediately there was a great calm and the water became as glass. They marveled and asked what kind of man this is, that even the winds and the sea obey Him. He is the Son of God, the Creator of those very winds and seas, and He still has all authority over them. We can bring our prayers to Him with confidence that He hears and He is able to bring calm.
The Bible also reminds us where true safety is found. One proverb says the horse is made ready for the day of battle, but safety belongs to the Lord. Another psalm says unless the Lord keeps the city, the watchman stays awake in vain, and unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. We do what we can to prepare and to help, but our trust for protection must finally rest in Him. He is the wise foundation Jesus spoke of, the rock. When the storms come and the floods rise, the house built on sand falls, but the house built on the rock stands.
You can also take comfort in knowing that God is guiding even through storms. The apostle Paul knew what it was to have the winds with him, carrying him quickly on his way, and he also knew what it was to have the winds against him, making even a short distance long and difficult, driving the ship and leaving the sailors unable to control their own course. In those times it feels like we are at the mercy of the wind, yet the Lord is still directing, still working out His pattern. Nothing is by chance. All things are working together according to His purpose, even when we cannot see it in the moment.
Revelation gives us a picture of four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds so that they should not blow on the earth or the sea. God holds the winds in His hands. He can restrain them and He can release them. We have all seen the devastation that hurricane force winds can bring, and that picture reminds us how completely the winds are under His command.
So we join you in prayer, asking the Lord who commands the winds and the seas to bring a calming, to restrain these high winds, to hold back further destruction, and to spread His protection over every person, family, and community in the path of the heavy rains and flooded areas. We ask Him to keep those who are vulnerable, to give wisdom and strength to those who are helping and rescuing, to provide shelter and comfort to those who have been displaced, and to draw many hearts to trust in Jesus, our only true safety and our rock when the storms come. May He bring peace in the midst of the storm and be glorified as the One who alone can say to the wind and waves, be still, and they obey. In Jesus name, Amen.
