Silas
Beloved of All
Your prayer for the winds to calm and for protection over those in the path of heavy rain and flooding is heard, and I join you in bringing it before the Lord.
Scripture shows us that the winds and the seas are not outside His control. When God spoke to Job about the creation of the earth, He described how He wrapped the earth with protective coverings, a blanket of moisture and a shield that guards it. He is the Creator who formed the atmosphere, who moves the high and low pressures and causes the winds to circle and return. Nothing in the weather is random to Him.
We see this most clearly in Jesus. When His disciples were on the sea and a great storm arose, Jesus stood and rebuked the wind and the sea, and at His word there was a great calm. The water became still and glassy. Those who were with Him marveled that even the winds and the sea obey Him. That question, what kind of man is this, is answered in who He is. He is the Son of God, the one who made the winds and the seas, and He has authority over creation and over the spiritual realm as well. He still has that same authority today, and we can ask Him to speak calm to the storm.
The Bible also teaches that God both holds back the winds and releases them. In Revelation we are shown angels holding the four winds of the earth, so that they do not blow on land or sea or on any tree until God commands. When storms come with devastating force, we are reminded how powerful those winds can be, and yet they remain under His hand. He alone determines their measure and their moment.
That is why our true safety is not in our own preparations, though it is wise to prepare. The proverb says the horse is prepared for the day of battle, but safety is of the Lord. Unless the Lord keeps the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build labor in vain. People long ago thought they could find safety by fleeing to another land, but God told them their only true safety was to trust in Him and remain where He had placed them. Our refuge is not a place or a plan, but the Lord Himself.
Sometimes in life the winds are with us and the journey is smooth, and other times the winds are contrary and even a short distance becomes long and hard. The apostle Paul experienced both. On one voyage the winds carried him quickly to his destination, and on another the same crossing took much longer because the winds were against him and the waves were high, until those on board despaired of life and could not govern their own course but had to trust themselves to the mercy of the sea. Yet even that difficult route was within God's intention, and what was not understood in the moment became clear later. God can use both favorable winds and contrary winds to lead and to teach us to trust Him.
We also remember Jonah, when the sea was raging and tempestuous, and as soon as Jonah was cast overboard according to God's provision, the sea became calm. Those sailors then feared the Lord greatly. God is able to calm the sea in a moment when He wills.
So let us pray together. Father, in the name of Jesus we ask You to rebuke these high winds and to cause them to be still. Lay Your hand upon the heavy rains and the flooded areas. Protect every person, family, and home in the path of the storm. Keep safe those who are vulnerable, those who serve and rescue, and those who have had to leave their homes. Provide shelter, help, and comfort where there is loss. And draw hearts to Yourself, for You are the true ark of safety. We thank You that salvation is through Jesus Christ alone, and we ask that many would find refuge in Him, who alone can give lasting safety for this life and the life to come. We trust not in our own strength but in Your mercy and power, and we ask for Your calm and Your keeping. In Jesus name, Amen.
Scripture shows us that the winds and the seas are not outside His control. When God spoke to Job about the creation of the earth, He described how He wrapped the earth with protective coverings, a blanket of moisture and a shield that guards it. He is the Creator who formed the atmosphere, who moves the high and low pressures and causes the winds to circle and return. Nothing in the weather is random to Him.
We see this most clearly in Jesus. When His disciples were on the sea and a great storm arose, Jesus stood and rebuked the wind and the sea, and at His word there was a great calm. The water became still and glassy. Those who were with Him marveled that even the winds and the sea obey Him. That question, what kind of man is this, is answered in who He is. He is the Son of God, the one who made the winds and the seas, and He has authority over creation and over the spiritual realm as well. He still has that same authority today, and we can ask Him to speak calm to the storm.
The Bible also teaches that God both holds back the winds and releases them. In Revelation we are shown angels holding the four winds of the earth, so that they do not blow on land or sea or on any tree until God commands. When storms come with devastating force, we are reminded how powerful those winds can be, and yet they remain under His hand. He alone determines their measure and their moment.
That is why our true safety is not in our own preparations, though it is wise to prepare. The proverb says the horse is prepared for the day of battle, but safety is of the Lord. Unless the Lord keeps the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build labor in vain. People long ago thought they could find safety by fleeing to another land, but God told them their only true safety was to trust in Him and remain where He had placed them. Our refuge is not a place or a plan, but the Lord Himself.
Sometimes in life the winds are with us and the journey is smooth, and other times the winds are contrary and even a short distance becomes long and hard. The apostle Paul experienced both. On one voyage the winds carried him quickly to his destination, and on another the same crossing took much longer because the winds were against him and the waves were high, until those on board despaired of life and could not govern their own course but had to trust themselves to the mercy of the sea. Yet even that difficult route was within God's intention, and what was not understood in the moment became clear later. God can use both favorable winds and contrary winds to lead and to teach us to trust Him.
We also remember Jonah, when the sea was raging and tempestuous, and as soon as Jonah was cast overboard according to God's provision, the sea became calm. Those sailors then feared the Lord greatly. God is able to calm the sea in a moment when He wills.
So let us pray together. Father, in the name of Jesus we ask You to rebuke these high winds and to cause them to be still. Lay Your hand upon the heavy rains and the flooded areas. Protect every person, family, and home in the path of the storm. Keep safe those who are vulnerable, those who serve and rescue, and those who have had to leave their homes. Provide shelter, help, and comfort where there is loss. And draw hearts to Yourself, for You are the true ark of safety. We thank You that salvation is through Jesus Christ alone, and we ask that many would find refuge in Him, who alone can give lasting safety for this life and the life to come. We trust not in our own strength but in Your mercy and power, and we ask for Your calm and Your keeping. In Jesus name, Amen.
