Thunder And Lightning

Thunder and Lightning

When he speaks in the thunder, the heavens roar with rain. He causes the clouds to rise over the earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses.

Jeremiah 10:13

Few things are as awe-inspiring as summer storms—the kinds that uproot trees. With them come hail, high winds, and rain. A peaceful world turns violent overnight.

Living in the South, we aren’t out of reach of a hurricane’s wind. And when storms come, I have my radio tuned in and my television turned on, waiting to hear news of tornadoes.

The Amish have no such ability. It’s bad enough to have a storm hit when they’re at home, but even worse when they’re away. The rain pounds, making it impossible to see their way in open buggies. And even in a closed buggy, the simple frame rocks and shakes. When storms come, our sense of our need for God is greater. We understand He controls the storms, and our prayers become more fervent.

Where do you turn when the storms of life hit? Do you see God’s hand in them? Do you turn to Him in your troubles and trials?

The first Amish immigrants to America in the early 1720s settled in Berks, Chester, and Lancaster Counties in Pennsylvania. Indian raids in Berks County in the 1760s caused those early Amish settlers to move to other areas. New immigrants and Lancaster-area Amish seeking more land settled in Somerset, Mifflin, and Union Counties in the mid- and late-1700s. Holmes County, Ohio, was first settled in 1808.

Those early settlers might have felt uprooted by the storms of life, but through their “scattering,” new communities were established, and they still thrive today.

When have you felt shaken? Do you feel shaken today? Trust that God will bring something good—even from the storms. You may be able to see the end result someday, but in the meantime you’ll trust more deeply that God is the Keeper in the storms.

Dear heavenly Father, I thank You for holding me tightly when the storms of life come. And I thank You that the storms bring a greater good I cannot always see, especially a closer walk with You.