Ezekiel says that in his vision the heavens were opened and he saw visions of God. He said, “As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal.” The first thing I noticed was the thought of God coming into this world on a “Storm.” Back in the ’60s, Jim Morrison and the rock group, the Doors, sang “Rider on the Storm.” The lyrics made little sense to me then and other than one observation it is about the same now. He sings, “Riders on the storm, Riders on the storm, into this house, we’re born, into this world, we’re thrown, Like a dog without a bone, an actor out on loan. Riders on the storm.” That’s just a bunch of nonsense to me except for the refrain, “Rider on the Storm.” Jim Morrison is setting a mood by using a biblical image of God’s activity in our world. William Cowper wrote a marvelous little poem using this same imagery. He writes about God, “God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform. He plants His footsteps in the sea. And rides upon the storm.”
In the Door’s song, it appears that we all are the riders on the storm. Because we’re just thrown into the world with no help at all, “Into this world we’re thrown” and we are on our own. Nobody will throw us a bone! I guess there are times in our lives when we feel like we’ve been left to ride out the storms of life on our own, but the Bible teaches us that God is the one that rides the storms of life. The Bible uses Storms as pictures of the power and might of God. Psalm 29 is one example of that. Picking and choosing from its verses we read, “The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire. The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; The Lord sits enthroned over the flood…” The storm is like a mighty stallion breaking into our lives at times. It appears to be completely out of control, but there is always a rider in control. As the disciples found in the boat as they found themselves pounded by the storm on the Sea of Galilee, there was someone who could tame all storms. He controls the storm like an expert rider controls his steed. This Psalm lets us know that “the Lord sits enthroned” over the storm.
Cowper ended his poem that way. He wrote, “Ye fearful saints fresh courage take, the clouds ye so much dread are big with mercy and shall break in blessings on your head. Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, but trust him for his grace; behind a frowning providence, he hides a smiling face.” As the disciples in the boat with Jesus learned, He makes the winds and the waves obey. With just one quick word, Jesus tells the storm to be still, and it becomes still. The disciples marveled at Jesus’ authority over the storm. I find that comforting during stormy times in my life. Faith in Christ is never misplaced. If He can calm the storms of the sea with one word, He can calm the storms of life as well. In Romans 10:11, according to the New American Standard Version of 1995, “whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” Most translations say believers will not be put to shame or ashamed. Regardless of the translation, we can be assured that God will always honor our faith in Jesus.