What’s Brewing

There’s another storm brewing in the Gulf of Mexico.

Right on the heels of Helene…

Ohhh God.

So many storms battering our neighborhoods and the nations.

Political firestorms and religious persecution.

Natural disasters and missile strikes.

Human trafficking and hate crimes and global unrest… from north to south, east to west.

And then there’s the internal tempests.

Dread, distress, dis-ease.

Debilitating anxiety, persistent depression, simmering rage… raging psychosis.

(Unseen storms that strike in any weather, in all four seasons.)

The truth is, sometimes we know a storm is brewing… and we can’t or don’t take cover. Because we’re paralyzed with fear. Or too busy storm-tracking. Or laser focused on fault-finding. Or foolish enough to think we can brave the elements alone.

And sometimes the storms blindside us.

Like lightning bolts or bullets – unpredictable and deadly. Something (or someone) gets struck in an instant. Stricken by catastrophe… meteorologic or manmade.

Other storms are self-inflicted. Impulsive actions, imprudent decisions, stoking conflict, fueling hate. They wreak havoc like a tornado tearing up a town.

In under a minute, the whole trajectory of a life takes a razor sharp turn.

And just like we don’t see it coming… many of us don’t realize this either… that most of life’s storms brew in an unseen realm.

Two powerful fronts collide.

Good vs. Evil.

Ultimately, that’s what the world is. A storm front. A battleground. Because that’s what we are. Both wonderful and wretched. Divine and despicable. Made in God’s beautiful image… and inclined to turn ugly.

All.

Of.

Us.

Which means life itself is both good and bad. Beautiful and brutal. And somehow, the bad and the brutal always take us by surprise.

How is it possible that even schools and synagogues and soccer fields aren’t safe anymore?

I cannot explain away the evil in the world, except to say that God – graciously – gives every one of us the freedom to do as we please.

Sometimes we do good. Sometimes we don’t.

And the ripple effects circle the world.

But I know one thing for sure…

When hurricanes ravage and hearts break… when broken, tormented people choose to break and torment others… God isn’t MIA.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he saves those whose spirits are crushed. ~ Psalm 34:18 (CEB)

Mercifully… he offers himself. Our first responder, our rescuer. To wash us clean, bind up our wounds, dry our tears, restore our souls.

Though it seems too fairy-tale to be true…

Jesus saves.

Sometimes we don’t see the fullness of the rescue mission with our own eyes. It’s beyond our field of vision… or… beyond our lifetime. These are hard things to wrestle with. In our darkest hours, we discover our deepest needs: a rescue, a refuge, rest, relief.

That’s the $64,000 question, isn’t it? Where do we get those things? When all hell breaks loose, we need a safe place to hide out – and ride out – the storm.

A bunker. A stronghold.

Where’s your shelter? Or more pointedly, who?

Who cares enough and has the power to protect you, the ability to impart peace?

In all the universe, there is only One.

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. ~ Psalm 91:1-2

Yes…

But what about the folks who just lost everything – loved ones, pets, homes, hope – in a hurricane?

Or those precious people who were slaughtered in Israel a year ago?

Or the hostages suffering untold terror at the hands of their captors… still? What about their safety?

The truth is, they weren’t safe. They aren’t. None of us is safe anywhere on this planet. Because safety isn’t a place.

It’s a Person.

The One who will hear and hold and help us in the danger, amidst the destruction.

And give us hope when ours is bleeding out.

I will never fail nor abandon you. ~ Joshua 1:5 (TPT)

When we cry out, God hears… cares… comes. We’re never too far gone. Never beyond his reach. Never alone.

Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and God will say, “I’m here.” ~ Isaiah 58:9 (CEB)

Yes, these are dark days. Storms are brewing. And some will wreak havoc.

So please… don’t delay. Seek shelter immediately.

Godspeed.

Wendy

P.S. One more thought on the evil in the world…

“The devil’s finest trick is to persuade you that he does not exist.” Charles Baudelaire