From Every Stormy Wind That Blows

God sometimes shuts the door

and shuts us in,

That He may speak,

perchance through grief or pain;

And softly, heart to heart,

above the din

May teach some precious truth to us again.

- Unknown -

From every stormy wind that blows,

From every swelling tide of woes,

There is a calm, a sure retreat;

’Tis found beneath the mercy seat.

There is a place where Jesus sheds

The oil of gladness on our heads;

A place than all besides more sweet;

It is the blood bought mercy seat.

There is a scene where spirits blend,

Where friend holds fellowship with friend;

Though sundered far, by faith they meet

Around one common mercy seat.

Ah! wither could we flee for aid

When tempted, desolate, dismayed,

Or how the hosts of hell defeat,

Had suffering saints no mercy seat?

Ah! there on eagle wings we soar,

And sin and sense molest no more;

And heaven come down our souls to greet,

While glory crowns the mercy seat.

- Hugh Stowell -

For thou hast been a strength to the poor, 

a strength to the needy in his distress, 

a refuge from the storm,

a shadow from the heat, 

when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.

- Isaiah 25:4 -

Come unto me, 

all ye that labour and are heavy laden, 

and I will give you rest.

- Matthew 11:2 -

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; 

and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: 

when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; 

neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

- Isaiah 43:2 -

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, 

that we may obtain mercy, 

and find grace to help in time of need.

- Hebrews 4:16 -

When the storms of life blow our way,

we can either cringe in despair

or flee to the heavenly Mercy Seat-

the God of all comfort.

 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, 

that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, 

by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

- 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 -

There we can find the help and strength to be overcomers.

Trials can sometimes embitter and harden our spirits.

However, if we use the trial to lean more fully on Christ

and to learn the lesson He desires to teach us,

we become stronger in our faith.

Always remember-

for the child of God,

life's storms are opportunities to learn more about Him.

Thank God even now 

for His heavenly mercy seat.

- Kenneth W. Osbeck -

Avail yourself of this "calm, sure retreat"

by using prayer to commune with the Lord

on a consistent basis.

Have a blessed Lord's Day, friends!

Love and hugs!