God, Our Shelter

As evening fell, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's cross to the other side of the lake." So they took him just as he was and started out, leaving the crowds behind (though other boats follow). But soon a terrible storm arose. High waves began to break into the boat until it was nearly full of water and about to sink. Jesus was asleep at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. Frantically they wakened him, shouting, "Teacher, don't you even care that we are all about to drown?"

Then he rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Quiet down!" And the wind fell, and there was a great calm!

And he asked them, "Why were you so fearful? Don't you even yet have confidence in me?"

And they were filled with awe and said among themselves, "Who is this man, that even the winds and seas obey him?" Mark 4: 35-41 (TLB)

He spread out a cloud above them to shield them from the burning sun, and gave them a pillar of flame at night to give them light. Psalms 105:39 (TLB)

Jim Machuku lives in Manzini, Eswatini. In the summer of 2016, a storm came through their area and left a trail of devastation. Their family house was not spared - the roof was extensively damaged and required significant repair. It was a difficult time for many in their community. The force of the storm's impact left all of them in a sober mood for quite a while.

For many of them the walls and roof of their homes gave them a sense of security and peace from the weather conditions. While God has not promised any of us an easy life, God has promised to be our shelter in challenging times.

When the disciples were caught in a storm on the sea, they were indeed fearful; but they found peace because Jesus was there with them. God will surely be here to shelter us as well, leading us through the storms of our lives. We who trust in God are never alone. God has us covered!

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for covering our lives with your peace and providing light for us in our darkness, in Jesus' name. Amen.