Are you in the eye or the middle of the storm?
Bharti Ramteke
We are always in this world as we live our lives. This world is chaos. It is a constant storm. If you don't recognize it, it's because you are used to this being the case. Stop for just a minute.
Listen! Is everything peaceful? No sirens, no billboards demanding your attention? No bills needing to be paid, no children upset? No trouble or problems looming on the horizon? See, there is chaos raging all around us. When we are unaffected by it, we are in the eye of life's storm. There is only one way to be there. If our relationship with Jesus is more real to us than the storm. But, when the storm intrudes, and is stronger than the peace we receive from being in the Lord's presence, then we are in the middle of the storm. We call this condition: suffering.
Suffering can come about for many reasons. Maybe we are undergoing discipline and our rebellious natures are fighting against the strictures put on us by God to correct us and we are suffering for that reason. Hebrews 12:8, "If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons."
Or, maybe we are being pruned : John 15:2, "(God) cuts off every branch in (Jesus) that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." What! God prunes us when we are in the full bloom of doing His will and things are getting done right? Yep! And we don't like it, we call it suffering, and we usually rebuke Satan for this.
Also suffering just happens, Matthew 5:45b, “He sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous." Plain old misery and what the Bible says about it.
Psalm 119:49, "Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me hope. My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life." When we are in the midst of the storm we remember the promises God gave us, Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord,... plans to give you a future and a hope."
Then we can have the courage to face tomorrow's onslaught, because the Lord has promised to give us a future and a hope.
Psalm 22:24, “for he has not despised or disdained the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help." This is God's reaction to our suffering .
So, now we are enabled to: Romans 5:3, "We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so but we also rejoice in our suffering, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us."
See that? If we know that God will use this time of sorrow to produce a new character in us and show us that there is still hope then we can carry on through this storm. James 1:2-3, says it this way, "Consider it all joy my brethren whenever you face trials of various kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." We can remain faithful to believing what God says He is and does, when we have this hard-won perseverance. And here's what we can do with our new knowledge of what suffering has produced in our life: II Cor.1:4-5, because "(God) comforts us in all our troubles ... we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."
All this doesn't help much if you are currently in the middle of the storm, so here's a word of help, practical help. Ephesians 6:13, "When you have done all, to stand..." That's it, when you have done all your human mind can come up with to solve your personal storm, Quit trying and just stand. Stand in the assurance that God sees your distress and hears your cry, and He will be your help, your Shield, and your strongtower into which you can run and be safe. Then you have just gone from the middle of the storm to the eye.
Lord, when the wind howls its menace in my life and my windows and doors threaten to blow in from the force of the tempest, help me to remain in the knowledge that I am the apple of your eye and your plans for me are my ultimate best, and to be able to rest in the assurance that I am in your will and in your eye. In Jesus' name, Amen. |
