God Speaks

I ran across a set of photos taken by storm chaser, Jim Reed. The photo that accompanies this article is one example from the set. Like a great work of art, I pondered what this image said to me today. My first thought took me to the Bible verse that says, "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10, NIV). Of course, the companion thought to that verse is, "He is God and I am not." I'm sure the officer in his patrol car felt a bit of that when he found himself facing off with the storm.

My second thought drew me to the verse that says, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." (Psalm 19:1, NIV). God's power and majesty are on display through His creations - "the Bible of His handiwork" - as one professor of mine put it.

The third thing to come to mind was the hymn God Leads Us Along. Bill Dagle wrote the background story of the hymn which adds further richness to it's meaning. He wrote, "It’s a fact of life that bad things do happen to good people. The challenge is to find the Lord, through the experience, and where He might be leading. Many times, our stubbornness and pride block the leading of the Lord in our lives. A crisis has a way of redirecting our steps, reorganizing our priorities, and giving us the opportunity to pave the road of life with lessons that might guide others who follow. Many hymns that we enjoy today were born out of the sorrows of yesterday.

In 1903, a song was published by preacher George Young entitled, God Leads Us Along. In the chorus, Pastor Young revealed the catalyst for the writing of the song when he wrote these words, "Some thru the waters, some thru the flood, some thru the fire, but all thru the blood, some thru great sorrow, but God gives a song, in the night season and all the day long."

After many years of sacrifice, this country preacher and his wife had saved enough money to build a home of their own. Pastor Young was handy with a hammer as well as with a Bible so, in short time, a new home was completed. The many years of low pay and thankless hours would be but faint memories now. A dream that often seemed impossible had come true. The Young’s loved their new home, but loved the Lord all the more; and because of this, they continued their ministry of traveling and sharing the good news. It was during one of these trips that disaster struck. Someone, not in favor of Pastor Young’s ministry, set fire to the family’s home while they were away. When George returned, he found a pile of ashes. All his earthly possessions were now gone. Then Pastor Young remembered the priceless things that fire cannot destroy. In his suffering, he could see God’s leading and a greater appreciation of what really counts.

A bad thing had happened to a good person because of someone else’s sin. Like Job, this was an attack of Satan. Yet God was still leading, leading Pastor Young to write a song that has comforted untold thousands for over 100 years:
Tho sorrows befall us and Satan oppose
God leads His dear children along.
Thru grace we can conquer, defeat all our foes
God leads His dear children along."

My final thought on the photo was fairly simple - God says, "Don't go this way. Back up." God is always speaking and sometimes with great clarity and authority. Listen always for God...whether in the storm or in the "still, small voice."