Gracious Tempest Devotional
This is my first devotional in like over TWO years, but this has really been on my heart and I been pushing this off for too long. I wanted to do a devotion dedicated to the song above. So please, give it a listen and you can also find the lyrics here.
After listening to this song over 100 times, I still don't understand it. Something about this song was just so memorizing and had me put it on repeat for weeks. "Gracious Tempest" from the Christian group Hillsong Young & Free was released in 2013, but I had just recently discovered it earlier this summer. This song had me feeling in awe and wonder, but I couldn't explain why.
During the month of July, I had family trip to Thailand and this song came with. Through out all the hours of traveling on the road, this song played in my ears and had me singing it in the middle of the open Sea. This song really wrestled in my mind and had me wondering why it left such a deep impression on my heart. So, I wanted to break it down in this devotional and allow me to speak the truth I felt listening to this song.
First off, what is a gracious tempest??? (I honestly have no clue, this is my first time ever hearing this phase) So, lets break it down! Gracious, of course, comes from the word grace meaning merciful, compassionate and kind. I had to look up tempest becasue in my mind I kept confusing it with the word temptress, which is a completely different word. (face palm) The word tempest means a violet windy storm, so like compared to a hurricane. Gracious Tempest together means merciful storm. That title alone grabs me. How can the word tempest that seems so aggressive and harmful become gracious, something seen as graceful and delicate. But, we all should know that God works in mysterious and beautiful ways.
In the performance, Taya Smith the singer, stops to read a passage in Scripture found in Psalms 116:5-9.
5 The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. 6 The Lord protects the simple hearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.
7 Return to your rest, my soul,
for the Lord has been good to you.
8 For you, Lord, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, 9 that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living.
I'm pretty sure this is one of the verses that inspired this song. If you read Psalms 116 fully, we see that it was a song of thanksgiving written to God from David. The psalm described David being in distress and distrust from others. David cries out to Lord saying "Lord, save me." It is then, when David is overcome by the Lord's grace and compassion. At the end of the psalm, David reminds himself that he has to continue to be a good servant, even through times of hardship or a tempest. Just as this verse was written to remind us of God's goodness through hard times, so does this song.
The song talks about how God's grace for us is like a violent storm that we can not escape. His "love towers over us," "Your love is like a storm," "Downpour of unending grace," and so on. It reminds us that even through the toughest, darkest, most violent storms we may face, God's storm of grace, mercy, and love overcome all of that. So, let us not forget that God is bigger than the problems we face and we know we must continue on like David and be faithful servants.
I know in my experience with hardship, sorrow and stress I become completely surrounded in chaos and discouragement. Whether, it was becasue of school, work, family, or even responsibilities at church, I lost that focus on God and only saw the problems the world was drowning me in. This song really encourages me that in my dark storm was an even bigger storm of God's gracious tempest. Just like David, we need to cry out onto the Lord to remind us that He is here.
I really hope you guys enjoy this devotional and I really, really, really, do hope to bring out more devotionals on a monthly bases (or hopefully weekly), so I can continue to use this platform to reach others. Let me know what you think of the song or write below any comments you have becasue I would love to read them! But until next time God Bless!