“He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea where hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men” (vv29-31).
Psalm 107:29-31
My all time favorite movie is the Wizard of Oz. I remember when I was younger it was on television once a year around the time of my birthday and I looked forward to watching it each year, since I thought it was being broadcast especially for me. It popped into my head as I was thinking about this week’s devotion and as I thought about it I decided there might just be a few things we can learn from this classic movie. I came up with five things that I think will be useful as we navigate this life - so for the next few weeks we will be looking at these lessons from Oz.
Storm clouds are gathering over a small Kansas farm when Dorothy’s dog Toto tangles with a cranky old neighbor. Dorothy decides to run away to save her little dog, but doesn’t get to far as a twister touches down and she races home, only to be caught in the storm and transported - so we think - to a strange and remarkable land.
From this and the rest of Dorothy and Toto’s adventure we can learn that storms have purpose. Generally speaking and depending on how severe a storm is, they are not usually pleasant experiences and the storms of life are often painful, still they have purpose. Storms can cause us to stop and consider what is really important - family, friends and faith. They can also teach about mercy, grace, generosity and compassion. Life storms whether they have to do with health issues, finances, relationship problems, loss of whatever sort, can be a blessing even in the midst of the pain.
Unfortunately, we cannot stop severe weather from coming, nor in many cases can we stop the storms of life from happening. But if we see the storm clouds gathering we can prepare for it, by remembering what is most important - family, friends, faith, love, generosity, mercy, grace and compassion. These things will see us through, will help us to find the blessing in the storm and help us to be a blessing to others in the midst of their storms.
Storms’ a coming - He will bring us safely to our chosen haven.
A Prayer
Father, thank you for the times in the past when you have calmed the storms of this life. When the next storm hits remind us of all the things that are truly important. Help us to see the blessings that are all around us if we are in the midst of a storm. Help us to be a blessing to others when we see the storms they are facing. It is in the name of Jesus, who calms the storm that we pray. Amen.
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