Till the Storm Passes By

Image © 2013 by Julie Campbell

I have a secret. Shhhh… don’t tell anyone, OK? I’m afraid of storms.

Hey, are you laughing? Stop! I’m not a chicken! I wasn’t always afraid of storms (at least not as an adult). Not until last summer when lightning struck my house, zapped a bunch of wiring and appliances, and I thought my house was on fire for a terrifying 15 minutes or so (it wasn’t, but the zapping produced an electrical burning smell). See? I told you not to laugh!  

Well, last night we had a whopper of a storm. I mean, the big one. Flashes of lightning one after another, making my room flicker like an old-fashioned horror movie.

And just when I was about to freak out, God brought a song to my mind. A childhood hymn that I haven’t heard in what seems like forever. It’s called Till the Storm Passes By:

In the dark of the midnight have I oft’ hid my face

While the storm howls above me, and there’s no hiding place
Mid the crash of the thunder, precious Lord, hear my cry
Keep me safe till the storm passes by.

Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more,

Till the clouds roll forever from the sky;
Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Your hand
Keep me safe till the storm passes by.

This simple tune came seemingly out of nowhere, but it was actually a gift from God. And in the midst of my fear, He stilled my heart.

Maybe your storm isn’t a literal one, but that doesn’t make it any less scary. Maybe it’s a failing marriage, a wayward son, a financial crisis, an illness, a loss. Friend, let me encourage you today: God is there in the middle of your storm, smack dab in the center of the mess and disaster. Above the howling winds, He hears your cries for help.

If you are His child, you stand in the best place possible – in the hollow of His hand. He won’t let you go. He’s got you right where He wants you, holding you “till the storm passes by.”

“You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” Psalm 32:7 NIV