Summer Psalms: Thunderstorms, Fear, and Trusting God Anyway

🌞 Summer Psalms: The Things God Taught Me Outside

Week 3:

Scripture: "The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters." - Psalm 29:3 (NIV)

If you've known me for any length of time, you probably know one thing about me... I do not like thunderstorms.

Never have.

Even as a child, the sound of thunder made my stomach drop. While some people love opening the windows to watch the rain roll in, I've always done the opposite.

I won't turn on the shower. I won't charge my phone or my laptop. I definitely won't sit down to watch TV. Instead, I unplug what I can, find a quiet spot, and either sit in silence or try to sleep until it's over.

It's probably a little excessive. But fear doesn't always make us rational.

Even now, as an adult, thunderstorms have a way of making me feel small. Recently, another summer storm rolled through, and I found myself doing exactly what I've always done. I looked out the window (from across the room, of course... I also don't go near windows) as lightning flashed across the sky, counted the seconds until the thunder followed, and waited for it all to pass.

As I sat there, I started wondering why something I can't control still has the power to make me so uneasy. Of course I thought "this would make a good blog post" so I opened my Bible to Psalm 29.

"The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders..."

I had read those words before. But this time they felt different. For so much of my life, thunder had represented fear. David saw something else. He heard the power of God.

Psalm 29 describes God's voice like thunder, not because God wants to frighten us, but because his power is beyond anything we could ever compare it to.

The thunder that makes me jump is still quieter than the voice of my creator. That changed my perspective.

The storm outside my window wasn't evidence that God had lost control. It was a reminder that he never has. Life has its own thunderstorms, doesn't it? Sometimes they arrive without warning.

A difficult phone call.

A doctor's appointment.

A broken relationship.

Financial stress.

An unexpected loss.

Anxiety that seems to appear out of nowhere. Just like the weather forecast, we don't always see them coming.

And just like real storms, our first instinct is often to hide until they pass. There's wisdom in taking shelter. But spiritually, I've learned there's a difference between hiding from the storm and hiding in God.

One leaves us isolated.

The other leaves us secure.

I don't know if I'll ever enjoy thunderstorms. Honestly, probably not.

I'll probably still unplug my electronics.

I'll probably still avoid taking a shower until the lightning has passed.

I'll probably still find myself sitting quietly, waiting for the skies to clear.

But maybe now, in those moments between the lightning and the thunder, I'll remember something different.

The same God who created the storm is the one holding me through it. The thunder may still make me jump. But it no longer has to convince me that I'm alone. Because the loudest voice isn't the storm. It's the voice of the Lord.

A Prayer

Lord, you know the fears I carry; both the ones that make sense and the ones I've held onto for years. Thank you for never making me face them alone. When life's storms feel overwhelming, remind me that your voice is greater than the thunder. Help me trust you, even when I'm afraid. Teach me that your presence is my safest place. Amen.

Journal Prompt

What storm are you facing right now? How might God be inviting you to trust his voice more than your fear?