ODJ: Surviving the Storm

December 23, 2018 

READ: Psalm 46:1-11 

Be still, and know that I am God! (v.10).

Marriage can be hard work as the currents of daily life sometimes tend to cause us to drift apart; I do my thing and you do yours. We stay afloat in our separate boats—until the storm. Money issues, job stress, a difficult relationship with a child, manipulative in-laws or even political differences may threaten to divide and sink us.

My wife and I found ourselves in the middle of such a storm, and we were taking on water. We each had strong opinions on how to reach shore, but neither plan was working. We were going down when my wife suggested we pray together about it. Of course! Our prayer didn’t immediately solve our problem. It’s still there, with no telling how it will end. But our prayer did two things: it united our hearts so we were back in the same boat, and it shrunk our problem to its true size.

Ecclesiastes says, “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. . . . Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken” (4:9-12). My wife and I intertwined our longings with the heart of Jesus. Our rope may fray from the tempest, but it will not break.

Prayer also lifted our hearts to heaven, where we shared God’s view of our storm. When we’re in the middle of a trial, it’s often all we can see. Its thunderclouds threaten to blot out our ability to see even the Son. But when we stop and cry out to our Father, we remember that He “is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble”. So “let the oceans roar and foam”. We will “be still, and know that [He is] God!” (Psalm 46:1,3,10).

Storms aren’t fun, but they give us reason to run to Jesus. No matter how our trial turns out, He forever remains our unshakable fortress (v.11).

—Mike Wittmer

365-day plan: 1 Peter 3:1-22

MORE
Read Psalm 80:1-19. How does this prayer put the psalmist’s problems in proper perspective? 
NEXT
Why is it important to pray with others? How does having God as our true refuge encourage you to call out to Him during difficult times?