God in the Storm

 Mert is our old dog. He’s about 12 years old and was an outdoor dog for 10 of those years. He is a breed of dog whose purpose is to protect the flocks/herds. He has done that well all his life. He considers us, the cows, the cats all as part of his flock. But now he has arthritis. He wants to be inside where it is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. He rules the roost. He doesn’t obey us. If he wants to go out, he stands quietly at the door, assuming we are there to observe his need and do what he wants us to do. He also has anxiety in storms because apparently at some point in his life, lightning struck close to him. He will stand at the door and sniff the air before he does out. If he thinks it even remotely smells like rain, he won’t go out.

Pepper is 4 years old. She’s not a protector. I’m not sure what purpose she has except to love and be loved, and bark if any of the other dogs bark.

Winda is our puppy. She’s 9 months old and is also a protecting breed. She takes that job very seriously. She is always alert to anything she considers a threat: cats, cars, windshield wipers, strangers, butterflies, shadows, sneezes... 

Last night at 3:30 a.m. we had a thunderstorm. Mert had an anxiety episode, so he came into my bedroom where Pepper and Winda were sleeping in their crates. Winda immediately perceived a threat and began to bark furiously. Pepper joined her. All this increased Mert’s anxiety. This went on for almost an hour with me initially telling Winda everything is okay then eventually just telling her to hush. None of my efforts helped. 

So now at 3:30 p.m. today, everyone is calm and resting. The sun is shining. All is well in their world.

Mert perceived the storm as a threat. He wanted me to protect him, so he came into the bedroom. Winda considered Mert a threat to me, so she tried to warn me of the danger.  And Pepper just followed the crowd that was the most vocal. What can we learn from thunderstorms and perceived threats? 

In Psalm 18 David is telling about how God rescued him from Saul. He was experiencing a real threat. Saul was trying to kill him. Yet David knew that his relationship with God would provide him protection and deliverance. 

Psalm 18:1-3

I love You, Lord, my strength.

2 The Lord is my rock,

my fortress, and my deliverer,

my God, my mountain where I seek refuge,

my shield and the horn of my salvation,

my stronghold.

3 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,

and I was saved from my enemies.

Look at all the words David uses to describe God. Only God can provide our strength, be our deliverer, our refuge, our salvation. 

Psalm 18:6

I called to the Lord in my distress,

and I cried to my God for help.

From His temple He heard my voice,

and my cry to Him reached His ears.

David called out to God and God heard him. 

Psalm 18:9-13

He parted the heavens and came down,

a dark cloud beneath His feet.

10 He rode on a cherub and flew,

soaring on the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness His hiding place,

dark storm clouds His canopy around Him.

12 From the radiance of His presence,

His clouds swept onward with hail and blazing coals.

13 The Lord thundered from heaven;

the Most High projected His voice.

In these verses God appears in darkness, in the storm clouds and the wind, yet His radiance shown through the darkness. He thundered from heaven. 

Psalm 107 is another psalm of thanksgiving for God’s deliverance. 

                                                                Psalm 107:28-31

Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble,

and He brought them out of their distress.

29 He stilled the storm to a murmur,

and the waves of the sea were hushed.

30 They rejoiced when the waves grew quiet.

Then He guided them to the harbor they longed for.

31 Let them give thanks to the Lord

for His faithful love

and His wonderful works for all humanity.

In these verses God quiets the storm.

Isn’t it interesting that God may appear in the storm, and He may also quiet the storm. We may face storms in our lives that are frightening, and God brings us out of our distress by calling the storm. Other times He may rescue us from our fear and distress by appearing majestically in the storm. Either way, in all ways, forever and always, He is God. He is our Protector, Strength, Refuge, Deliverer, Savior, Redeemer. He is in the storm, and He is equally in the hush. He is all these things and more. He reveals Himself in all these ways and more.

As for the dogs, the storm wasn’t going to harm Mert. Mert wasn’t going to hurt me. And I don't think they learned anything from the chaos last night. I will likely happen again the next time it storms again. 

But as for us we can trust that God is always Who He IS. When we turn to Him, He will hear and respond.