Thunderstorms are one of those natural phenomena which evoke as much fear as they do awe. How can something so life-giving and essential be so menacing in sound and appearance? I have always loved thunderstorms for that reason: they have the power to renew living communities by providing the necessity of water, but they also have the power to destroy these same communities through strong winds and lightning.
So how does this juxtaposition of power inspire the words of the prophet Jeremiah? He writes that the mere utterance of God’s voice is enough to produce such might as a thunderstorm. This occurrence which leaves us in wonder and fright is created with no more than a word- a simple sound- from our God. How powerful must our God be to have the strength of a thunderstorm at God’s command?
The life-giving and simultaneously destructive elements of a thunderstorm remind us of God’s sheer dominance over the world. The One who makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth is the same God who is in control of our lives. What a comfort it is to be guided by such power.
Almighty God, help us to remember your power over the world, that we may feel reassured and sustained under your control. Amen.
Abigail Gandrud, LCM Student
When he utters his voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens, and he makes the mist rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightning for the rain, and he brings out the wind from his storehouses.
-Jeremiah 10:13
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