Years ago I heard the story of the farm-hand employed by a man who lived in the city. Every evening, before nightfall, the farm-hand would secure all the gates and close down all the sheds and outhouses so there were no banging doors or loose gates to cause trouble if storms should blow up during the night. He left nothing to chance.
Late one evening the city owner visited the farm and heard a weather report of an unusually severe storm approaching. Such a storm had never been experienced in the area before. In the dark, alarmed at the report, he sought out the old farm-hand down at the cottage.
“There’s a terrible storm coming,” he said, banging on the farmer’s door. “Why aren’t you out there making everything secure? What needs to be done?” he asked in a panic.
The old farm-hand opened the door and held his lantern high. He looked at the owner and in a measured and dismissive tone he said as he turned away, “I sleep well on windy nights.”
The Old Testament tells of a man who did not wait until the storms raged. Like the farm-hand securing the farm, it was his custom to secure his family every day. Early every morning as was his ‘regular custom’ Job took each one of his grown up sons and daughters to a safe place with God to secure pardon for any sins they might unwittingly have committed. He “offered burnt offering according to the number of them all; for Job said, it may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.” (Job 1:5)
Note Job was concerned that his children may not have sinned and even cursed God overtly, but “in their hearts,” and those storms often rage unnoticed by all except God.
Have we done everything in our power during the good times to secure our loved ones against whatever tragedies and difficulties might threaten them? Like Job, do we rise up early in the morning to seek God for our loved ones every day?
If we have, we too, can sleep well on windy nights when destructive storms and gales threaten our families because we have placed them in the Lord’s keeping. Like Job, make it a “regular custom” to take each one in prayer to God so that, like the old farm hand, we have peace even in the midst of storms.
Jesus himself presents us with storm peace. Listen to him, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27).
Elizabeth Price