Comfort and Peace

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4

I recently saw a stunning picture of an Arizona desert storm. There is a lone cactus with a mixture of blue sky and clouds with falling rain in the background. What makes it extraordinary is a brilliant white lightning bolt that is hitting the ground with the half arc of a rainbow behind it.

It made me think about the promise God made as He hung the rainbow in the sky: never again would He flood all the earth (Genesis 9:13-15). There is comfort and peace in a rainbow. Even if the storm is severe, there will be an end to it. Still, to have the rainbow, there must be rain. Whether calm or violent, there is a storm before the rainbow appears.

Job 36:26-33 gives a beautiful description of storms and lightning. Verse 32 reads, “He covers His hands with lightning, and commands it to strike.” God knows exactly where each bolt of lightning will hit. He is in complete control.

Recently on a trip to the coast, we went through about 15 minutes of a crazy storm. The wind was blowing, the rain was falling in sheets, and rocks were coming down from the mountainside onto the road. You could see the sky light up and the roar of the thunder almost simultaneously erupting, letting you know the lightning was very near. Then there was a brilliant white bolt much like the one in the picture that hit on the mountain across from us. We could see flames explode where it hit—thankfully the rain was pouring down so hard a fire didn’t start. It was stunning and terrifying all at the same time. Such incredible power.

In being awestruck by the storm I had forgotten Who had created it. I had become anxious, and even wondered briefly if we should turn back. I could have felt the same comfort and peace during the storm that I feel when I see a rainbow if I had just remembered the Hands from which it came.

There is another part of scripture concerning lightning that gives great comfort and peace to believers as well: “For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man…. And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other….” (Matthew 24:27,31). There will certainly be more storms before this happens, and many of these storms are man-made. As we get closer and closer to the day of Christ’s return, it’s getting darker every day it seems, but remember, God controls man-made storms too. Now that’s comfort and peace.

Dear Lord, thank You for the reminders that in the midst of the storms of our lives, whether we see the rainbow or not, You are always there. Thank You for the comfort and peace You alone can give us. Amen.