Through the Storm

I don’t like storms, and I really don’t like to drive in them. I do not want to drive through a torrential downpour or get beat up by hail stones or attempt to keep the car on the road and make it to shelter during a threatening tornado. If I had to guess, I’d say that there are not many people who do like to be out in this type of weather. It’s scary. Probably most of us prefer the safety of solid protection. Strong, reliable protection. Tested protection. Something we know is going to outlast the storm.

During a recent worship service, I was struck by one particular phrase in the chorus of “Cornerstone,” an updated version of the old hymn, “The Solid Rock.”[1] The song speaks about putting our hope in Christ alone and building our lives with Him as our foundation. The chorus is:

Christ alone, Cornerstone,

Weak made strong in the Savior’s love

Through the storm, He is Lord, Lord of all.[2]

Jesus is Lord through the storm. He is the firm, unmoving anchor that we can put our hope in, even during the storms of life. What really struck me recently about this is that if we don’t go through any storms in life (whether they be spiritual, emotional, financial, or anything else that threatens to shake us up), how can we sing with conviction that Jesus is Lord through the storm?

If I build a house on the beach and try to guarantee that it will withstand hurricane-force winds, how will anyone believe me unless that house has been through a storm and has stood firm? If I claim to be anchored to Jesus and stand firm on Him as my foundation, how will anyone believe me unless I have been through the storm and lived to tell about it?

I have been through a number of different storms. Some of them were only a little summer rainstorm, but others involved hurricane-force winds. Some of them threatened to knock me loose from my foundation. But they didn’t. Every time I hit bottom, the Lord speaks to me in some way –through a friend, through a Scripture passage, through a sermon, through a song –and tells me that He is still here. He is still with me. A foundation built on Christ can withstand the storms.

“Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken.’” (Is 28:16 NLT)

Through the storm, He is Lord, Lord of all.

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[1] Text by Edward Mote; Music by William B. Bradbury

[2] Edward Mote, Eric Liljero, Jonas Myrin, Reuben Morgan; CCLI Song #6158927