God is Within Her

October 23rd
God is Within Her
By: Nicole Goddard

Anyone else still shaken by Hurricane Helen’s impact on the Appalachian towns in North Carolina and Tennessee? Not to minimize its impact on the coast of Florida, but the volume of precipitation from this storm posed a threat that these areas were not prepared for. It can be really hard to reconcile God’s sovereignty and goodness as we watch the count of the deceased rise and see photo after photo of devastation.

Hurricane Helen’s impact on the mountain towns seems to be perfectly described
in Psalm 46
 
God is our refuge and strength,
     an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
     and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
 though its waters roar and foam
     and the mountains quake with their surging.[c]
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
     the holy place where the Most High dwells.
 God is within her, she will not fall;
     God will help her at break of day.

Within hours, thousands of groups started gathering supplies and sending them to impacted towns. Trailer loads of hay, feed and fencing supplies have been donated to farmers in need. Electric Co-Ops from all over the nation have sent crews to help restore power. God is within the mess, showing up in the form of selfless people donating their time, supplies and resources.

While we have to recognize that God had complete control over this storm, we also have to believe that God’s heart breaks over the impacts of it. God is in the midst of it all, transforming the hearts of both those volunteering and those receiving aid. God’s grace is being woven throughout this tragedy and we have to have faith in his greater plans for this.