God is in the Storm

Sharon recently discovered that her marriage wasn’t what she had thought. For years she believed the words of her loving husband when he would say he loved and adored her. Around the third year of marriage, she felt uncomfortable, a sense of invasion, and eventually, she became empty.

The covenant was invaded and her spirit felt that something left. Sadly, Sharon would experience those same invading feelings thru the years. They would come and go and each time they were present, her spirit knew there was another among their union.

Recently, Sharon became aware that all those feelings and suspicions were in fact true and the storm came crashing in. The reality of what she suspected came true, it was no longer an illusion. How sad is it for someone’s life to come crashing down and find themselves standing alone wondering how did they get there? A person may ask why or how could this have happened?

The Storms of life are just that way; all seems to be smooth sailing and all of a sudden (so we think), this big wave comes into a person’s life and just consumes their world. They can’t help but focus on the storm.  They sometimes spend countless hours, days, weeks, and even years trying to understand what has happened. They feel like there is no relief in sight.  It sometimes feels that the wave is so big that it has wiped them out.

That wave is called your circumstance, your pain, your disbelief, your discovery, etc. The circumstances that come at you so fast that you just can’t think. Everywhere you turn, it crashing into your soul and you feel consumed with emotions. A person can get lost when they keep playing what has happened over and over in their mind.  Sometimes it feels like the waves multiply so rapidly that it magnifies the pain.

We find ourselves looking up and ask… Where is GOD! Why didn’t He stop this from happening! Why did God do this to me! We may blame God for our tragedies instead of those who caused the tragedies. Sometimes a wave is part of God’s plan to wake up his children. But rest assured God has been in the Storm all along. In fact, He knew we would experience these tragedies before we were even born.

So how do we handle such tragedies emotionally and spiritually? Especially when you have tried so hard to ensure you stayed on course to do what God’s word says. The truth is, we can be in the will of God and still go thru a storm. As I once heard a pastor say “A storm is always designed to increase your faith to give you a deeper experience with your Heavenly Father”.

Scripture tells us that Jesus himself said we would go thru trials and tribulations … John 16:33 says “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” You see, storms may not be pleasant, but they do come with a purpose.

This well-known pastor once broke down the three folds of a Storm.

Circumstantial Storm: This is when it’s out of your control. During this phase, a person feels helpless and sometimes hopeless. They can’t do one thing to change what has transpired. They have to accept what has happened and their starting point is post-tragedy. This is especially hard for those born to be natural leaders.  

These leaders are the ones that people rely on when they are going thru life’s difficulties.  They are the ones that people look at and admire for having it together.  Therefore, when they experience this out-of-control emotion, they find themself standing alone in shock at what has transpired.

Terrified of the Storm – It’s a storm of emotions. Your worse fear has become a reality and you have to face it. You may have played it in your mind thru the years on how you would handle the situation if you ever faced it. Then that day arrives and you find yourself in disbelief, and maybe even frozen in emotion.

Storms come in all shapes and sizes such as what Sharon had to face. Others are facing financial decisions such as should they stay in a company because of a recent job requirement (financial stress can be terrifying). No matter what your storm is, you may find yourself fearing the unknown which can be overwhelming.

Theological Storm – The spiritual storm.  When the circumstances are out of control and the emotions are going crazy, then they start to question where is God.   You start to ask.. where were you God? Why did you let this happen? I have been praying to protect me from this and now I am smack in the middle of the very thing I have always prayed wouldn’t happen. Why God Why?

Here’s the truth. For those of you that have read the story where Jesus and his disciples got in a boat, Mark 4:35. Scripture says, “As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, Let’s cross to the other side of the lake. ^v36So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). ^v37But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.”

The disciples panicked as outlined in ^v38The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” Now think about it, the SAVIOR was sleeping, these disciples have seen Jesus do all kinds of miracles and yet in the midst of the storm, they doubted. Jesus was asleep on purpose.

Look at v35 again; He said “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake”. But what happened to these men of God? THEY kept their eyes on the storm. THEY focused on the circumstance at hand over His Promise, which was they were going to the other side.

We either believe His promises or we don’t.  He already said let’s cross to the other side. His disciples took their eyes off on what He said and focused on the storm. Jesus wasn’t sweating the storm, but they woke Him up to tell him to look at the storm and Jesus wasn’t having it. He knew his purpose was not done. Just like your purpose is not done, even if you are facing a storm.

So what does Jesus do? Verse 39 tells us “Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!”  Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. ^v40Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They had the answer in their boat and He demonstrated that even in the Storm. We need to be still and know He is God and He will guide us. His plan will come to fruition if we continue to trust Him.  

Search His Word regarding your storm, meditate on His promises so that you can remind yourself that He is in control.  His promise doesn’t change because of the Storm. We have the answer, we just have to choose to believe His Word, which will build our faith in Him. 

As for Sharon, her storm is big, the waves are still splashing and sometimes overwhelming but she knows without a doubt that the promise given to her in Psalms 147:3 “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds“. She knows that Jesus is in the boat and she knows HE will take her to the other side and He will do that for you too!  Selah.