God's Love Through The Storm (Poem)

On Wednesday (January 20th), I preached through Jonah chapter one, and emphasized that it was the Lord that brought the storm to bring Jonah back to Him. This storm also caused the unsaved mariners to realize their gods were false and the God of the Hebrews (the God of the Bible) was the true God, and they turned to Him in repentance and faith. I believe God showed His love in that storm - the storm that He caused and He stilled all by His power and wisdom. What storms are you going through? Can you see God's love through your storm?

This poem is part of a poetry book the Lord enabled me to put together in 2005, entitled The Seasons Of Your Pilgrimage, containing some poems and songs by myself and several friends, as well as some poems in the Public Domain. Lord willing, I would like to start posting some more of those poems here, and indicate which ones they are by the tag "seasonsbook". If we (my webpartner or I) have a graphics page put up for the poem, I will also place the link of that page within the title itself, so you simply have to click on it to view that page on Home Of The Real McCoy or Earnestly Contending. Unfortunately, I am no longer putting up new pages on my original poetry site, but any new poems and songs that I write or that others have written that have been a real blessing to me, I will put on this blog. I hope these poems and pages are a blessing to you.

God's Love Through The Storm

I did not know His love before, the way I know it now;
I could not see my need for Him, my pride would not allow.
I had it all, without a care, the "self-sufficient" lie;
My path was smooth, my sea was still, not a cloud was in my sky.

I thought I knew His love for me, I thought I'd seen His grace;
I thought I did not need to grow, I thought I'd found my place.
But then the way grew rough and dark, the storm clouds quickly rolled;
The waves began to rock my ship, my anchor would not hold.

The ship that I had built myself was made of foolish pride;
It fell apart and left me bare, with nowhere else to hide.
I had no strength or faith to face the trials that lay ahead;
And so I simply prayed to Him and bowed my weary head.

His loving arms enveloped me, and then He helped me stand;
He said, "You still must face this storm, but I will hold your hand."
So through the dark and lonely night He guided me through pain;
I could not see the light of day or when the storm might wane.

Yet through the aches and endless tears, my faith began to grow;
I could not see it at the time, but my light began to glow.
I saw God's love in brand new light, His grace and mercy, too;
For only when all self was gone, could Jesus' love shine through.

It was not easy in the storm, I sometimes wondered, "Why?"
At times I thought, "I can't go on." I'd hurt, and doubt, and cry.
But Jesus never left my side, He guided me each day;
Through pain and strife, through fire and flood, He helped me all the way.

And now I see as never before how great His love can be;
How in my weakness He is strong, how Jesus cares for me!
He worked it all out for my good, although the way was rough;
He only sent what I could bear, and then He cried, "Enough!"

He raised His hand and said, "Be still!" He made the storm clouds cease;
He opened up the gates of joy and flooded me with peace.
I saw His face now clearer still, I felt His presence strong;
I found anew His faithfulness, He never steered me wrong.

Now I know more storms will come, but only for my good;
For pain and tears have helped me grow as naught else ever could.
I still have so much more to learn as Jesus works in me;
If in the storm I'll love Him more, that's where I want to be!

~Author Unknown~