A LINGERING STORM

“The flood continued for 40 days on the earth, and the waters increased and lifted up the ark so that it rose above the earth.” Genesis 7:17 (CSB)

Some parts of life seem to creep along. Though we wish it would hit and move on, these trials linger around far longer than we desire. Though it wasn’t quite a storm of biblical proportions, to many, it felt the same. Hurricane Florence (2018) crept towards the North Carolina coast, dousing the area with rain and eroding the coast with winds and storm surge. The storm struck just south of Wrightsville Beach.

The system slowed to speeds of five miles per hour in its approach, allowing the outer bands to continuously churn out water. As it made landfall, the system slowed even more. Spinning over the Old North State before dipping into South Carolina, Florence barely moved. Rainfall amounts climbed into the double digits in inches and hour after hour, the forecast remained the same—rain and wind. Elizabethtown, North Carolina, recorded nearly three feet of rain in the storm.

ABC 11 in Raleigh reported on the event, keeping the public aware of all developments. The decision was made to cover the storm without interruption. Due to the speed of the hurricane, this “story” extended longer than anyone initially imagined. Seventy-five hours of continuous news spoke to the lingering nature of Florence over the Carolinas. There were points when everyone wondered if and when it would ever end.

Some storms move so slowly. Hour after hour becomes day after day and the consistent condition is rain pouring down. Those inside such storms wonder if it will ever pass. They question if they should adapt to the struggle as that appears to be their new reality.

Can you imagine how Noah and his family felt? Talk about lingering storms! For nearly six weeks, the rain fell. As each day passed, the waters rose. An ark full of animals stunk and, through it all, there was only more water.

Hope remained in the drabness of forty days of rain. Though they struggled to see light at the end of the path, Noah’s family knew the very boat they boarded was a bright spot. The rains came, just as God revealed beforehand. The flood waters rose, and with so much precipitation, the inevitable happened. Destruction unfolded as humanity perished. But for Noah and his family, the Lord had made a way.

The forewarning of God told what to expect. The guidance of God showed Noah that God had made a way. As God foretold of a storm of forty days, He assured Noah that it would one day subside.

Are you in a season of perpetual rain right now? Does every day look overcast as you struggle to get through another week? The storm will pass. God knows when it will subside, and He hasn’t left you alone in the storm. What He has done for you is what He did for Noah and Noah’s family. He made a way for them, and He’s made a way for you!

It reminds us of what Jesus said to the disciples just before the cross. He promised that the coming storm would pass. He said to them, “So you also have sorrow now. But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice, and no one will rob you of your joy.” (John 16:22 HCSB)

Look up today and, even if it remains overcast, praise Him that this storm will pass. He made a way for you through Jesus, and, in Christ, the clouds begin to break because we know the Son has risen.

Storm Preparation

• How important were God’s instructions to Noah prior to the flood?
• Why is it hard to praise in a lingering storm?
• What impact does it have on you to know that God has made a way for you?