I have a shelter in the storm when troubles pour upon me. Though fears are rising like a flood, my soul can rest securely.
O Jesus, I will hide in You, my place of peace and solace.
No trial is deeper than Your love, that comforts all my sorrows.

I’ve noticed that we often use weather terms when describing our life’s journey: seasons, storms, rain, dark clouds, winds of change …

There’s no doubt about it. In every life comes storms of some kind. Longfellow put it this way: Into each life a little rain must fall, some days must be dark and dreary. Through the years, songs and poems have been written with this same sentiment. This morning I was meditating on God’s goodness and presence in my life, and I began thinking about His comfort and peace. The station I was tuned to on my laptop played the song I posted today (above). As I perused the pages of the web, I found exactly what I expected. Blogs, articles, songs, poems, sermons… all agree that life is filled with hard times and that we all face days of sadness and sorrow. It’s inevitable in this life. Storms come.
What I found through my search also brought me to a sad reality. There is a great deal of hopelessness due to these difficult times of life. People are searching for something. Many songs leave us with a sad feeling.  Some poems are dark and depressing. Blogs are filled with words of discouragement and bitterness.
But as I looked through the pages of the Bible I also found exactly what I expected!Throughout the Bible are sprinkled verses that encourage us in the “storms” of life. The Old Testament is filled with pictures of God as our Protector and Provider. The psalmist often ran to his storm Shelter in difficult seasons: “I would hurry to find a shelter from the raging wind and tempest.” Isaiah worshipped the LORD and proclaimed about and to Him, “For You have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat.”

I especially loved my search through the New Testament, looking for verses of hope. In fact, it reminded me of something. The God of the Old Testament – the Shelter in the storm – came down to us to bring us hope “in the flesh.” I didn’t find any verses in the NT that spoke about God being our shelter or shade. I found something better and it blessed me so much.

The God of the universe became a man. The OT worshippers had a God they could run to in the storms of life, but it wasn’t the same. When God came down in the person of Christ, we received Him like never before. (“but in these last days<sup class="xref" value="(C)”> He has spoken to us by<sup class="xref" value="(D)”> His Son, whom He appointed<sup class="xref" value="(E)”> the heir of all things,<sup class="xref" value="(F)”> through Whom also He created<sup class="xref" value="(G)”> the world.”) When Jesus left His Holy Spirit, we received Him like never before! (“But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.”)

For we do not have a high priest<sup class="xref" value="(T)”> who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who in every respect has been<sup class="xref" value="(U)”> tempted as we are,<sup class="xref" value="(V)”> yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter<sup class="xref" value="(W)”> the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by<sup class="xref" value="(X)”> the new and living way that He opened for us through<sup class="xref" value="(Y)”> the curtain, that is, through His flesh, and since we have<sup class="xref" value="(Z)”> a great Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. For we do not have a high priest<sup class="xref" value="(T)”> who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been<sup class="xref" value="(U)”> tempted as we are,<sup class="xref" value="(V)”> yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Wow! 🙂 So the great truth is this: I have a shelter in the storm – a great High Priest who name is love, Who ever intercedes for me! The storms, the dark clouds, the rain. They all send me to the Shelter. There I find His love and grace and mercy. JESUS, I will hide in You! and the only way to know Him and know His presence in the midst of the storm is for the storms to come. So I sing with Mercy Me “I know there’ll be days when this life brings me pain, but if that’s what it takes to praise You, Jesus bring the rain.”

and with this I pray: OH FOR GRACE TO TRUST YOU MORE!