THE ONE WHO CALMS THE STORM (Hurricane Helene)
Dear friends, Hurricane Helene recently passed through the southeastern United States. Our family was not prepared for this natural disaster at all, nor did it even realize the scale of what was happening. Usually, you do not think about something seriously until it affects you personally.
The Bible tells us: “Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and in all deep places. It is He who causes the mist to ascend from the ends of the earth, who makes lightning for the rain, and brings forth the wind from His treasuries.” (Psalm 135:6-7). And this Scripture just happened to be in my children’s school curriculum on this very day. This is how the Lord speaks to us. It is very important to be able to hear His voice.
Lately, we have been witnessing more frequent natural disasters. At the moment, there are more than a hundred military conflicts taking place in the world. More and more often we hear about new epidemics that threaten to develop into a global pandemic. In this regard, we, as the Church, must understand how quickly our planet is moving towards its end and the beginning of the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ. We need to “trim our lamps” more earnestly than ever. Dear friend, is there something that is standing between you and God? Have you gotten it right with Him?
When we looked at the live map showing the trajectory of the hurricane, we realized that we would be in the epicenter of the storm. Together with my family, we entrusted it to the Lord and went to bed. My verse of comfort was this passage: “When I am afraid, I will trust in You.” (Psalm 56:3). After praying to God, peace filled my heart.
However, at 6:00 a.m., I was awakened by increasing wind and rain. I began to pray, watching the development. The words came to my mind: “He rose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” Then the wind ceased and there was a great calm.” (Mark 4:39) I was talking to God in exactly this way: “You who calms the storms, come and have mercy on us!”
The last time I used this Scripture earnestly was when I went crabbing in California in the Pacific Ocean in 2016. Then an incredible storm arose and I had to hold on tightly to the boat’s railing with a death grip until we reached the shore. As a result, all my knees were bruised.
That morning, I looked again at the hurricane map and saw how the trajectory deviated from our place of residence to the east. In the end, we got off with gusty winds and incessant rain. No trees were knocked down and no flooding. The Lord really calmed the storm and turned it away from us. He is the Creator of all things and shows His mercy.
In the morning, my wife received a text message from her relatives in South Carolina. They sent photos from their own homes, where trees were torn out by the roots. Moreover, their friends sent terrible pictures from North Carolina, where houses were flooded up to the roof, and where people who had survived were sitting. A day later, friends from Pennsylvania called me and told me that in Atlanta, in the Woodstock area, literally thirty miles away from us, there was a big flood, property was damaged, and cars were sent afloat.
You know, a little later that morning I allowed myself to think that, most likely, the news channels exaggerated the danger of the hurricane. But when I saw and heard about its consequences from our relatives and friends, I realized that I took God’s protection for granted. Realizing the scale of what had happened, I fell to my knees and began to thank God for His mercy. After all, our church house is built of wood. It would have been nothing to demolish it for such a hurricane, the basement would have been flooded with water and my children and wife would have survived the horrors of the storm. God did have mercy on us.
Let us thank Him for His protection and mercy and not take it for granted. He is great!
“I will both lie down in peace and sleep; for You, Lord, make me dwell safely and securely.” (Psalms 4:8)
God bless you!
Max Volkov in Christ
