God’s Strength (Part 1)

Bible Reading: Mark 4:36-41

Andrés glanced nervously out the school window. It’s been looking stormy all day, he thought. I hope there isn’t going to be another tornado alert. Sighing, he tried to concentrate on his math lesson.

As Andrés began the first problem, a bell rang. “Take a large book and file quietly into the hall,” Miss Grey told the class.

The kids quickly obeyed, taking their places in the school’s inner hall and putting the books over their heads as they had done during tornado drills before. But something seemed different today. Andrés could hear a siren blowing from a nearby fire station. It was the signal to the town that a tornado funnel had been seen nearby.

Andrés had never been so scared before, but as he sat trembling, he recalled something Dad had said the weekend before. They had gone swimming, and as Dad walked out into the deep water, Andrés’s little brother Liam clung to his father’s shoulders. “Are you scared in the deep water, Liam?” Andrés had asked.

Liam shook his head. “Nope. Dad’s got me.”

Dad had laughed. “Good boy! I’m in control here, and I’m glad you trust your father.” Then he’d added, “I hope both you boys will remember that you can always trust your Father in heaven too. He’s in control of everything, even when bad things happen that we don’t understand. We just need to trust Him and remember that, no matter what happens, we have eternal life through Jesus.” As Andrés remembered that, he felt better.

A few minutes later, Andrés heard a roaring sound. It began softly, but got louder and louder. Is that a train? Andrés wondered. We’re not even close to the tracks. Then he remembered hearing that a tornado sounded a lot like a train rushing by. I’m still scared, Andrés thought, but God is my heavenly Father, and He’s in control. I can trust Him—even if a tornado hits.

Finally the all-clear siren sounded, and the kids returned to their classroom.

“A tornado passed by not too far from our school,” the principal announced over the intercom a few minutes later. “It caused a lot of damage, but thankfully no one was hurt.”

Andrés smiled and silently thanked his heavenly Father for watching over them.

-Hazel W. Marett

How About You?

Are you afraid of storms? They can be frightening, can’t they? That’s because they are powerful and can cause a lot of damage. But God is even more powerful. When the lightning flashes, the thunder rolls, and the wind whistles through the trees, remember that God is in control of all those things—and that He saved you and is always with you, even when He lets you go through difficult experiences. Trust Him.

Today’s Key Verse: Mark 4:41 (NKJV) Even the wind and the sea obey Him!

Today’s Key Thought:

God is in control