Thunder & Reign

The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters.  

The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever. (Psalm 29:3&10)

The night before last I was awoken in the middle of the night by nearly the loudest thunder I have ever heard. The only other time comparable was years ago in Donnelly, Idaho. My children and I were sitting in the trailer house where we lived as it was storming outside. All of a sudden there was a blindingly brilliant flash in the window where I was sitting, simultaneously accompanied by an unbelievably loud BOOM. The children and I jumped up and looked out the window to find that the tree standing about 6 feet outside our home had been hit by lightning, leaving a large branch on the ground next to our trailer.  

The thunder the night before last was nearly that loud. Our little Maltese dog, Mugsy, went into his usual angst reserved for the sonic booms of the 4th of July. I brought him into bed with me until the thunder passed. The boom of the thunderings could be heard rolling across the land and out over the ocean for miles. The tumbling, rumbling, sound was palpable, and nearly visible.  

Immediately upon being awakened from the tremendous blast of sound I thought of Jesus' return. I thought to myself, "The whole world, at once, will hear the sound of His return! Will it be much louder than this?" What an inescapable storm that will be for so many.

The day before the storm John and I had met Dave LaBelle. Our Brother Mason, in Christ Jesus - who refuses to be called 'Pastor' - is a second father to Dave LaBelle. Mason wanted John and I to share our testimony with Dave. Dave is well known for his contributions as a Photographer and Writer. As per Mason's request, John and I sat for an hour and a half with Dave, sharing as much of our story as we could during that brief time. Mason would like for Dave to write something of our story.

During our visit, and because of my shared interest in Photography, Dave LaBelle gave me two Photography books he has written, and a novel. The novel is called, 'Bridges and Angels: The Story of Ruth'. This novel is the story of his mother, and her tragic drowning in a flood in 1969. The flood is referred to as 'the great flood of Ventura County, 1969'. The novel is partly truth, and partly fiction.  

The first part of the novel is true, and beyond heart-rending. Dave tells it so well that you are there in person as it transpires. I envisioned Dave writing this wretched account through stinging tears that make it difficult for eyes to see the words on the page as he wrote. I imagined this as an exercise in catharsis. I imagine it so…  

The second part of the novel is what Dave wishes would be true - if he could have wished for the outcome. I have only just begun on the second half of the novel, so that part I cannot yet comment on.

This morning, as I finished my part of cleaning the church we attend, I read the Bible while waiting for John to finish vacuuming. It was Psalm 29 - the scripture I used at the beginning of this blog. When John and I got home from cleaning the church (the local parking lot in the Mandalay Plaza at Port Hueneme), I opened an email sent this morning from Brother Mason. Another Brother from the church congregation, Patrick, has written a poem which goes along with the Wednesday night Bible Study lesson. The poem is called, 'AN ANCHOR OF THE SOUL'

It begins…

Being tossed about on a boisterous sea,

Will cause grown men to quake,

The violent waves that rock the ship,

Will cause their knees to shake.

(Acts 27:20)

When we don’t know the outcome,

Of how the storm will pass,

Or if we’ll perish in the depths,

Will this day be our last?

(Acts 27:13-35)

Your face will betray the fear,

That’s seized your very soul,

Does salvation lie before us,

Or is death to take its toll?

The fear will last for hours,

Or sometimes many days,

We can’t navigate by stars,

Nor can we feel the sun’s warm rays.

(Jonah 1:4-5; Acts 27:20)

We have to drop the anchor,

When we’ve lost sight of our position,

The anchor down below,

Is the only hope for our condition.

The anchor will hold us steadfast,

We won’t crash onto the rocks,

We’ll weather out the storm from here,

It’s the only hope we’ve got.

(Hebrews 6:16-20)

In our daily lives we struggle,

With storms that seem to rage,

They bring about some doubt or fear,

Regardless of our age.

(Matthew 14:25-31)

Does God really see,

The trouble that we’re in,

Does he really, completely forgive us,

When we turn away from sin?

Can He really see my fear,

Of things that lay ahead,

Will He truly comfort me,

In all the things I dread?

Am I all alone in this storm,

Or is He really at my side,

Is He really watching over me,

Sometimes I can’t decide.

(I Peter 5:7; I John 1:8-9)

I want to believe He’s very close.

Sometimes I know He’s near,

But why does He forsake me,

In moments of deep despair?

(Luke 12:7)

You need to drop your anchor,

And place your Hope in God,

He will walk right there beside you,

Down every road you trod.

(Matthew 28:18-20)

We all face storms that are powerful beyond our ability to even save ourselves. Storms that are nearly unfathomably loud and raucous in demand of our attention and responses. Storms that remind us of a portion of the magnitude of Creator God, whom some of us call 'Father'. Storms which inform us of the wisdom of having the fear of God.  

The biblical account of Peter walking on the water to Jesus reminds us Who is in charge of the storm, and where we must place our eyes and our faith. More is beyond our control than what is in our control. Come to Jesus… He's our Rock. Trust in Him.

The voice of the Lord is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the Lord is upon many waters.  

The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever. (Psalm 29:3&10)