For Devotion and Reflection

From: http://www.explorefaith.org/signposts/
The Signposts for January are written by Susan Hanson.

His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.—Nahum 1:3

When we're kids, our image of God is often quite benign. A cross between Santa Claus and our grandfather, this God seems totally agreeable, even tame. Not only does he listen intently to all our prayers, but he answers them just as we want, healing our relatives, watching over our friends, protecting us from myriad childhood woes.

Or so we like to think. Yes, God does listen to our prayers, but he's anything but tame. Indeed, the God we meet in scripture is spirited, audacious, wild.

As comfortable as domesticated life can be—with its king-size beds, DVD players, takeout food, and instant messaging--there's still a part of us that craves adventure. And so we spend our weekends driving to remote locations where we can happily rappel down cliffs, hike through brush, and sleep on the ground.

Tell us a storm is coming, and within minutes some of us are heading to our cars to chase it. Give us an opportunity to bounce through whitewater, possibly drowning in the process, and some of us are getting in the raft. We need the adrenaline rush.

But daring as these experiences may be, nothing can compare with the wildness of God. As the Letter to the Hebrews tells us, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God"—not because he wishes us harm, but because we aren't accustomed to such power. The wildness of God is the same wildness that gives us breath, that makes us feel alive, that speaks from the heart of the storm.

PRAY: O God, help me to see your power not just in whirlwind and storm, but in my soul as well.