The Perfect Storm of Love

“Then the Lord will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over all the glory will be a canopy. It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.” Isaiah 4:5-6

Spring is a time of new life and new beginnings. It is a time when winter snow begins to thaw, flowers begin to bloom and all of nature seems to come alive in the love of life. However, as many Americans know with trepidation, it is also a time when warm moist heat clashes with cold northern air creating powerful and sometimes violent storms.

Regardless of where you may live, we’ve all experienced storms in our lives—storms of nature, stormy relationships and storms of despair. The fact is that storms will come and storms will go, but some things remain—faith, hope and love.

“Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1Corinthians 13:12-13

When we go through the storms of life we survive through faith in a merciful and loving Father. When we experience trials and tribulations in this world, we endure in the hope of salvation and eternal life. And when we reach out to others in the midst of these times of testing, we give and receive the love of our fellow man.

Recently after an F4 tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma, the local citizens held a memorial service for the victims of the violent storm. The highlight of the service was when a group of elementary school children sang that age old song, 

“Jesus loves me.” It was the same song they sang as the storm passed over their school obliterating most everything in its path. To say the least, there was not a dry eye in the house.

If you’re in the midst of a storm in your life, know this. You can have faith in the Lord God Almighty, hope in the life, death, resurrection and return of his Son, Jesus and know without a doubt, you are loved.

“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.” 1 John 4:16-17