REFUGE FROM THE STORM

There are few who find it easy to rejoice when men hate and reproach them ‘for the Son of man’s sake’, Matt. 5.11-12; Luke 6. 22-23. Most would rather avoid the unwelcome attention of ‘the terrible ones’. Isaiah describes their attack as a blast of a winter storm against a wall. What a test for the weak ones sheltering behind that wall! What a test for that wall!

The noun ‘storm’ may be better rendered ‘flood’; in which case Isaiah may be recalling his earlier description of the Assyrian invading Immanuel’s land, like the waters of a river, strong and overflowing its banks, 8. 7-8. What wall could stand before a raging torrent, sweeping all before it? In chapter 28, he will combine the thought of storm and flood as he chastens those who would make their covenant with death: ‘the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place’, v. 17. For the unbeliever there is no refuge any stronger than a hut or temporary shelter, which the fruit-grower might raise in his field; one blast of the storm and only the debris tells the tale of false security, 24. 20. Behind their ‘bowing wall’ and ‘tottering fence’ there is no refuge, Ps. 62. 3.

There is a refuge, however, for those whose house is built upon the rock, Matt. 7. 24-25. When the rain descends and floods come and the winds blow, the walls stand unmoved and unmoveable. No matter how exposed to ‘the blast of the terrible ones’, the wall will not crumble before the storm.

Storms are testing times, as the disciples learned on more than one occasion as they crossed the Sea of Galilee. In the test there were times when they wondered if the Lord cared at all, Mark 4. 38. It is easy to sing, ‘With Christ in the vessel, we can smile at the storm’, but we are often no different from those disciples with ‘little faith’, Matt. 8. 26. Let us be assured that the Lord is still able to still the storm, if that is His will. And He is still able to be our defending wall, our refuge in the storm, if, in His all-wise ways, He allows it to rage. To Him, our refuge, we can flee as the storm-clouds gather and ‘the terrible ones’ plan to engulf us. In such an hour, hear Him say: ‘be of good cheer; I have overcome the world’, John 16. 33.