He Knows My Frame

by Mrs. B 2011

A bone-rattling noise from the radio interrupted my listening to worship music on the way to Texas last week. A series of storms had kicked up near Memphis that threatened to disrupt my travel down I40. I quickly called my husband, and he began tracking the storm system through the Internet. He said the best thing for me to do was to head due south in order to avoid the storms, even though that route was longer. As I traveled along, the meteorologist told of high winds, softball-sized hail, and funnel cloud sightings in the areas I was avoiding. My heart raced during the reports, yet calmed when my husband gave me minute-by-minute instructions on where to turn on country back roads. I could see angry dark clouds on my right and sun-filled clouds on my left.

My husband began to talk about the best place for my turning west in order to get back to the original path. I glanced to my right again, and I saw a huge funnel cloud stretching from the gray cloud-covering to the ground. Since I had never seen a tornado before (true confessions – I have only seen them on “Storm Chasers”), I hesitated to call it by that name, but I could hardly squelch the fear that was rising in my heart. My husband calmly told me that the storm was moving away from the direction I was going and to just keep driving. I gripped the steering wheel and heeded his instructions.



May 1, 2011 Sunday evening
The funnel was on the ground by the time I saw it, and weather reports have since confirmed a tornado in Somerville, TN, where this photo was taken. By taking the path that I did, I received only a few drops of rain. The storm soon weakened. Praise His Name!

Since we celebrated Passover recently, I was reminded of how the Lord took the Israelites on a longer route out of Egypt so that they would not fear. 

Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, "The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt." Exodus 13:17

This path around the land of the Philistines took much longer to navigate, but God understood their hearts. Though they had just seen God work mighty miracles in their release from Egypt, they could have also been exhausted from the time of testing and faith-building. It was God’s mercy that led them on a longer route away from the possibility of war.

In much the same way, many of us have been going through times of testing and faith-building. Financial difficulties, relational troubles, deaths in our families, and many other circumstances may be facing us as dark clouds. Sometimes He calls us to charge into those clouds and storm Heaven for answers and breakthroughs. At other times, knowing our frame, He leads us to go around those clouds. Either way, our goal is to heed His instructions and trust Him for the outcome.

Prayer:

Father, thank You for taking me through the storms sometimes, and thank You for leading me around them at other times. I am grateful for Your guidance and Your Presence along either path. I trust You, and I will praise You no matter what comes.
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Challenge:

This week ask the Lord to help you trust His leading. When He calls you to pray and charge into the storm, do it with all you have. When He calls you to rest, rest with all you have, too, not fretting over the seeming inactivity. Obeying Him is never “inactivity” in the spiritual realm.

Mrs. B 2011