Finding Purpose In The Storm

Why Are All of These Terrible Things Happening? Am I being punished? Will this ever end? 

Many people ask themselves these questions many times, especially during the most turbulent times of their lives when things just don’t make sense, especially when things appear to be growing worse, and when God feels distant and seems silent. As a small child I remember my mother rising early and ending the day with the Lord on her heart. Jesus Christ was her mentor, her example, her friend, her companion no matter what she faced. The anointing was evident in her face, her countenance, her tenacity to continue, and the time she took each night to teach me about the Lord through Bible readings, songs, and games we played. This was the first time I learned that no matter what we have to face in life or how egregious the circumstance, God still sits on the throne and has a wonderful plan for all of the struggle. 

When the storms Increase in Velocity so does God’s Mercy. 

There are times in our lives when we are doing all the right things, when we’re trusting and believing that the same God who brought us through hard times in the past, will deliver us as quickly as He did before, or in the same manner. We cry, we wait, we pray, and we trust, but still there seems to be no relief, no answer. As the storms increase in strength and seem to never end, we begin to wonder if we are being punished, targeted, or forsaken, and many of us begin to doubt the true existence of God because we fail to fully understand beyond the five senses why a loving God would allow seemingly unbearable pain. It is hard to conceptualize how God could suddenly turn His back and walk away during the darkest moments of our lives leaving us to fend for ourselves in very painful moments. We may feel abandoned, but we are not alone in our sufferings, the Lord Jesus felt this exact way before His crucifixion. He felt separated from God like we often do when we feel pressured or uncertain. He felt anxious and forsaken after having an oneness with God, but continued to be obedient in spite of how he felt. “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46) 

If we rely on our feelings we will often be misled, because feelings change for a variety of reasons and therefore have nothing to do with obedience. Jesus went to the cross anyway. Furthermore, God doesn't always promise us that things will turn out the way we planned, expected, and anticipated, but He did promise that no matter what we have to face He will always be there with us, even when we don’t feel His presence. He knows every situation, sees every teardrop that falls from your eye, and He has a resolution and a plan to bring you out, in His time. God is the solution to every problem, and has a time limit to every trial. 

Trials and tribulation arrive to strengthen, test, and teach, and the only choices we have through the inferno process, are to either become bitter or better. 

The purpose of trials as painful as they are force us to higher ground, otherwise we would remain stuck in the valley and never reach the mountain top which is God’s intended destiny for us. Sometimes God will allow pressure to force us out of our comfort zone, and we must be willing to stand a little discomfort in order to receive what He has in store for us. Storms in the form of adversity, persecution, job loss, a nasty divorce, bereavement, a wayward child, a broken relationship, a sick loved one, and persecution in any form, is the stretching process we must endure in order to move into God’s intended destiny for our lives. Like a skilled artist, God creates a masterpiece. He never makes mistakes, nor does He crumble His work and toss it into the trash. God continues to build on what He started until it is just right, because only He can see the finished product. Therefore, storms are designed to bring us into a new dimension and transition us to another spiritual level. You may be saying, “Well, I just can’t take another thing right now.” God is saying, yes you can. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. God knows when and how to stop the pressing block before it fully crushes you. If you feel crushed right now, just know that it is God’s way of squeezing you hard enough to reveal your true character, the real person you are on the inside and what you need to work on. It doesn't always mean that you are being punished or chastised, but there is a great lesson to be learned in every trial. Storms cause us to reflect on any sin that may be present in our lives, any bad attitudes we have, or any grudges we continue to harbor. Storms do not dim the way, but produce light in the path of darkness, and there is a light at the end of every tunnel, and it’s not always a train. You can and will survive your storm. 

God’s Mercy is Renewed Every Morning 

As I rise in the morning hours drinking my morning coffee with God, and before I begin my day, I ask for a heaping portion of the renewed mercy He has stored for me this day. God is merciful and full of grace especially during the times we need it the most. He promised to never leave nor forsake us. He promised that no weapon formed against you will prosper, and if God said it then He meant it! Nothing that you are facing at the present moment is a surprise to the almighty that is in control of ALL things, and He has a perfect outcome for you if you remain steadfast and continue to persevere through the torrential storms. Many of us give up and throw in the towel when we fail to see things changing, but God is always up to something and always working every situation out on your behalf. “God’s thoughts for you are thoughts of peace and not evil.” Jeremiah 29:11. Intensity of pain means you’re getting closer to your breakthrough. For example: Right before a baby is born, the mother’s pain is greatly increased, and the physician doesn’t tell her to stop or give up, but coaches her to push harder until the baby is born. Whatever God is trying to birth through you, will bring you great joy if you keep pushing through it. Now, is not the time to stop, you’ve come too far in your journey to throw in the towel. 

God never said that perceived weapons of mass destruction would not be formed; He said they would not prosper. 

The enemy is never going away, so it is a waste of time stressing over every negative thing that comes our way. Satan will do anything and everything to distract you from God's purpose and plan. His goal is to stress you the point where you have no strength to even utter a simple prayer. Don't waste time fighting people or thinking about things you have no control over. Whatever it takes, your biggest fight is in keeping your mind on God at all times, and not trying to put out the little fires the enemy starts. Let the captain handle it all. God is the greatest fire fighter and while you continue to trust Him, He will fight on your behalf. Furthermore, for the sake of Christ, we will have trials and tribulations and we will encounter and suffer many afflictions. However, this period may be a testing time and only temporary, a time when you really need to dig your heels in prayer, fasting, thanksgiving, and praise. God wants to talk to you. He wants your attention. He is using the floods you are presently facing to move you to higher ground. How else could He get our attention? It is hard to hear that gentle sweet voice of God when your mind is cluttered with problems. Whatever you focus on will become bigger and more powerful. Make sense? 

Then why so much pain? Haven't I been through enough? 

The real questions are....Is God setting me up for something beyond my wildest dreams? Is He orchestrating His mighty plan and using my suffering for my good and His glory? Could it be that the most painful and difficult afflictions be a sign that the enemy, that negative intelligence, is scheming to stop the promise through the process by wearing us down and sucking out our energy? Be aware that persecution, afflictions, disappointments, heartache, and set-backs are designed to strengthen and bless you in more ways than you could ever imagine. While trials never feel good, they all work together for your good. Stay the course and never give up. Victory is near to those who continue to trust in God's wisdom even when it seems like nothing is changing. God is always at work. Keep praying, keep believing, keep praising Him, and keep trusting. 

I want you to visualize the firm hand of Jesus gripping tightly to your right hand and walking right beside you through the fire whenever fear rears its ugly head. Picture the Heavenly Father sweeping you off of your feet and carrying you, whenever you lack energy to carry on. 

Be blessed and keep living with your purpose in mind.

The Question of Godless Morality

From bondage to spiritual faith.
From spiritual faith to great courage.
From courage to liberty.
From liberty to abundance.
From abundance to selfishness.
From selfishness to complacency.
From complacency to apathy.
From apathy to dependency.
From dependency back again into bondage.

A consensus of ethical norms apart from the supervision of God will eventually erode. Power begins to take over in determining our actions. Look at our government today. It is controlled for the most part by special interest groups vying for influence. Every day I receive in the mail a plea for funds to help some group influence our government. What ever happened to electing upright men and women and trusting them to do the right thing without our funding various organizations that seek to influence our leaders to do their bidding?

To an alarming extent, our society has become complacent, a nation inhabited by people concerned only with their own well-being.

But, we don't just need a code of ethics, as important as that is; we need to put God back into our lives. We need to submit to His leadership in our lives, to recognize that only the God who created us knows what is best for us and only God is capable of revealing to us the ethical standards that can ultimately bring the peace we so desperately seek.

How do we do that? It starts with His book, the Holy Bible. God has spelled out some pretty clear principles on how to treat others. Do we love others as we love ourselves? That is not so easy when everyone around us is living out the relativistic ethics of power. The true force of Christianity has never been the use of power plays to conquer the world. From the Crusades of the Middle Ages to the moral majority of the last decade, efforts by Christians to use political or economic power to advance the Kingdom of God have been questionable, if not disastrous. The true power of Christendom has always been the testimony of Christians who are living out their faith in a world obsessed with self promotion--Christians who are in the Word of God and who maintain ethical and moral integrity!

Peace In The Midst of the Storm

In this world you will have trouble. John 16:33 

I wonder if the disciples were shocked when Jesus said this? After all, by this time they had seen Jesus perform many miracles—water into wine, multiplying bread and fish, people healed, and raised from the dead. Why would the disciples expect trouble when God could work miracles? Furthermore Jesus had told them to ask “for anything in my name, and I will do it” (John 14:14). 

The real key is in the first half of the verse, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.” In Jesus we have peace. We don’t necessarily have peace in our circumstances but we can always have peace in Jesus. God could prevent difficulties but rather he often chooses to let us experience his peace in the midst of them. Being at peace in a difficult situation is a miracle in itself because it shows the world we are trusting in God; it also adds to the devil’s demise. 

When we trust God in difficult circumstances we demonstrate our belief in something greater and more enduring than temporary relief from our problems. We believe God is doing a work that has eternal consequence. We are relying on Paul's words which tells us, “What is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18). 

Nevertheless it is important for us to believe God not only has the ability to perform miracles but does perform miracles from time to time. This gives us the faith to know God is indeed powerful and compassionate. However, whether God intervenes directly in our circumstances or not we know, “His works are perfect, and all his ways are just” (Deuteronomy 32:4). 

Let’s choose to trust him and avail ourselves of his peace. 

Burning Fire or Cold Ash?

We are not so much called to a particular place or task. We are called upon to commit ourselves to God. He then takes us where he wants us and uses us in the way he chooses. We are not indispensible to the mission. The mission will be completed with or without us. 

We often look out upon the harvest field and we see a particular need. We then tend to sell ourselves to the need we are observing. But, there are billions of needs among billions of people in a million different places. We can’t be everywhere at once and we can’t serve in more than one place. Rather than commit ourselves to a place or a people shall we not commit ourselves to Christ and then trust him to direct our lives. It is a deception to believe that the needs far away are greater or more important than the needs nearby. A lost soul is utterly lost whether he is in the jungles of Africa or living in the house next door. 

It seems we sometimes are tempted to compromise the sovereignty of God by relegating it to an inferior position behind our organizational efforts. A high school teacher could assure you that they would be deeply offended if they walked into their classroom every day and their students were clamoring to inform them of what plans they had for class that day. Organization and structure is a necessary part of any ministry but we must take care that it does not squeeze God out of the picture. Paul says that God has “…arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.” (1 Cor. 12:18) Utter chaos would erupt if the body parts gave direction to the head but when the parts yield to the head a wonderful symphony of movement can be experienced. We are parts of the body, when we yield to Christ we become efficient kingdom builders. 

God’s operational modus is much different than that of the secular world. We so readily adopt the secular idea of go, go and go. We preach consecration and commitment and we tie those ideas to frantic action. We have to do more, go further and be better. But God says for us to “Be still, and know that I am God.” Strength and efficiency are found in the quietness of God. The idea here is to calm down, put away frenzy and trust God to do what he will. 

Moses was a man called and prepared by God to do a great and wonderful thing. He would deliver the people of Israel from slavery in the land of Egypt. Exodus chapter 2 tells the tragic story of how Moses got in the way of God’s plan for his life. He saw one of his fellows being mistreated by an Egyptian and he took care of business. He defended one of his own. His act could probably be justified to some degree, but his failure was he chose to do it his way instead of God’s way. 

Moses was well educated, he had lived among the Egyptian elite, he understood their culture, he was a fine, masculine specimen and extremely intelligent but in spite of all those things he was not yet ready to be used of God. So, God sent him away for forty years for further training. 

We so often feel comfortable in our ability, but God is not looking so much for ability as he is availability. He wants a heart that will submit to his will, a heart wise enough and willing enough to get out of the way so God can do a great work. In order to get us to that place, God sometimes allows us to experience long periods of feeling useless. We may feel insignificant and unappreciated until we finally realize that God’s way works and our way doesn’t. 
There must have come a time during those forty years of exile that Moses felt like he would never really amount to much or accomplish any great thing for God. But God has a habit of choosing “the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; … the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” (1 Corinthians 1:27) 

God didn’t call Moses out of exile until he was prepared. In Exodus 3 Moses saw a burning bush. He was fascinated by what he saw. I’m not so sure that instantaneous combustion was so unusual in the hot desert but what was so perplexing to Moses was the fact that the bush was not consumed. It just kept burning and burning. 

Did Moses compare himself to the bush? Moses had a ‘crash and burn’ moment in his life and it cost him forty years. Did he look at the bush and say? “I wish I could have just kept on burning. Instead, I was consumed by the flame of my own passion and self assertiveness”. Did Moses look at the burning bush and say, “Lord, make me to burn continually for you. Don’t let me fail. Don’t let me falter but let me burn eternally in my passion and service for you.” John Wesley seemed to get the idea when he admonished his fellow clergy to “Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come for miles to watch you burn.” 

God called to Moses by name, “Moses, Moses!” Why does God seem to choose some for greatness and others never are called? Was Billy Graham, Mother Theresa and D.L. Moody more special than others in the eyes of God? Do Charles Stanley, John MacArthur and John Piper have certain, peculiar traits that make them more special in the eyes of God? Of course not. They are affective in service because they made themselves available. Many others will live out their entire lives in mediocrity because they never inquired why God never called them by name. They were sent into the wilderness and their fire was never rekindled. They passed their days and years in a heap of cold ash. 

How did God choose that particular bush? I don’t think it was difficult, I don’t think he spent a lot of time trying to make that decision. I think any old bush on the desert floor would suffice. You don’t need special talents, you don’t need a great education or a stellar record or even an especially winsome personality to do great things for God. You just need to be willing, to be available, and leave the rest up to him.

When Doubt Arises In Your Heart

The vagaries of life can cause tremendous doubts to arise in our hearts regarding God’s provision, protection and even our very salvation. These doubts came to the disciples after Jesus’ death. They could not understand how the one who had performed such miracles had faced such a bloody and gruesome death and had not escaped from it. When he met the two on the road to Emmaus they were in such doubt that they were not sure any more that Jesus was the promised Messiah nor did they believe the reports of the women that he had risen from the dead, the crucifixion having obliterated their faith. Later, when Jesus met with the disciples he asked them, “Why are you troubled and why do doubts arise in your hearts?” 

The trials of this life cause us to doubt also. What do we do when this happens? We have to understand that doubt does not come from God. According to Ephesians 6 we wrestle against principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. The doubt in our hearts may begin with us but it is increased exponentially by these forces. What, then, is God’s recipe for doubt? The answer is faith. 

It is easier said than done but the only way to deal with doubt is to pour the word of God into your heart. As the bible says faith comes by hearing the word of God. There are specific scriptures for doubt. Here are a few. 

• According to Mark 11:22a “Have faith in God.” Just reading this scripture can bring faith to you. It indicates that God will indeed honor his word and promises, that he will make a way where there seems to be no way. It implies that he will honor your prayer of faith regarding your situation no matter how long it takes. It gives the assurance that God will take you safely through your trial or bring you out of it. Verse 25 says, “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours”. However, you have to be sure that what you are praying for is in line with God’s will. If you need help with unbelief ask God for help. The man with the demon possessed son asked Jesus to help his unbelief and his son was healed. God is God and deserves your trust. Read Genesis chapters 12, 15, 16, 17, 18 and see that God was faithful to Abraham even though it took a long period of time. 

• Know that God is with you. Deuteronomy 31:8 “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged”. In the middle of fear and discouragement it is good to remember this scripture. In addition to this Philippians 1:28 warns us not to be frightened in any way of those who oppose us. We are not even to fear death itself. Psalm 23:4 states, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for you are with me your rod and staff comforts me”. Be comforted by the fact that God is with you, his presence goes before you and he will never leave you nor forsake you. He is the Lord that is always there. 


• Your hardship or trial does not mean that God does not love you or has forsaken you. Romans 8:35, 37-39 states, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord”. God has not forsaken you on the contrary he is with you helping you through each day even though you do not realize it. James writes in James 1:2, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete not lacking anything”. If nothing else this trial is increasing your spiritual maturity. God loves you just like he did the Apostles when they went through their situations. There were times that Paul described when he and those with him did not even know what to do. You are not alone lean heavily upon the Lord and when you get on the other side of your trial you will not understand how you got there. Trust in God’s goodness. 

• A long period of trial does not mean that your past sins are not forgiven. Job thought that God was repaying him for the sins of his youth in Job 13:26 but as you know that was not the case. Once you have been saved all your past sins are forgiven and God gives you the Holy Spirit as your assurance of salvation. Ephesians 1:13-14 states, “And you were also included in Christ when you heard the word of truth… having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession…”. A person may choose to turn away from God after this, but as the father welcomed the prodigal son back to him in Luke 15, God is waiting with open arms to welcome those who stray away from him. Luke 15 is filled with parables about this. Understand that with God there is no license to sin, after we are saved he expects us to sin as little as possible and certainly not as deliberately as we did while we were sinners. However, there is forgiveness for our sins when and if we sin. I John 1:9 states, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”. John continues in 2:1-2, “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense─Jesus Christ, the Righteous one. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours but also for the sins of the whole world”. We must understand that we cannot continually sin deeply against God and think that we are his when we live like the world. A person steeped in such sin is in a backslidden condition. Galatians 5:24 states, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. If you have done this how can your trials mean that your sins are not forgiven? Trust in God for the salvation that you have received.