Storms

When I think about storms I think about earthquakes, tornadoes, typhoons, tidal waves, tsunamis, thunderstorms and even snowstorms.  It seems like we have experienced all of these lately all around the world, some resulting in floods and terrible destruction.  Personally I believe that these are what the Bible calls the beginning of birth pains.  My opinion is that none of these storms happen without God knowing about them and allowing them to take place.  I look at all these things as God trying to get people’s attention.  We all want to hear about how loving God is and how merciful, kind, gracious and caring He is.  Even though all this is true and we need to hear about it often, His other attributes should not be eliminated.   

It says this in Deuteronomy 4:23-24, “So watch yourselves, that you do not forget the covenant of the LORD your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a graven image in the form of anything against which the LORD your God has commanded you.  For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”

   

Remember God is a just God and He hates sin in any form.  God isn’t just an angry God like a tyrant but He cannot tolerate sin, in fact, the Bible says this in Psalms 7:11, “God judges the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.”  People tend to think that the God in the Old Testament is not the same God in the New Testament but that is not true, read what it says in Hebrews 12:25-29, “See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking.  For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven.  And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, ‘yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.’  This expression, ‘Yet once more,’ denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.”

There are so many other verses that talk about God’s attributes all through the Word of God.  I also believe that if a believer sins they will also be corrected and chastised according to Hebrews 12:5-8, “And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:  ‘My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.’  If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.”  God does this out of love.  

Now I want to talk about storms in our lives that can also seem very devastating.  Sometimes storms that we seem to experience are not always there to harm us but to help us to mature in our faith.  We can and do respond to these things in different ways, like being angry and rebellious toward the Lord or feeling sorry for ourselves and having a pity party, so to speak.  We may handle it with a positive attitude, as we should, knowing whatever it is the Lord allowed, was for our good.  If we could just get Romans 8:28 in our hearts and minds at these times and really believe what it says we could look at these storms much more positively. It says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”  That means everything that goes on in a believer’s life.

Think about what happened to the disciples when they were in the boat and Jesus was sleeping, calmly taking a nap.  All of a sudden there was a great storm of wind on the lake and their boat was filled with water, and they were in jeopardy.  Being scared, they woke Jesus saying, “Master, Master we perish.”  This had to be quite a storm for them to be so frightened knowing that some of these men were avid fishermen.  Then Jesus rebuked the wind and the raging water, and they ceased and there was calm.  

Was Jesus just playing games, trying to scare these men?  Of course not!  Jesus would use this storm to teach a lesson about faith.  Did He keep them from experiencing the storm?  No, experiencing the storm got their attention and it will also get our attention when we go through a storm.  Did He eventually deliver them from the storm?  Yes, and He may deliver us when we learn the lesson He is trying to teach us.  A lot of it has to do with our attitude at the time.  So when you experience things you don’t understand, that you didn’t bring on yourself, try to think of it as a learning experience and ask the Lord what He is trying to teach you, without getting angry and don’t be rebellious, the sooner you learn the lesson the quicker you may be delivered, praise the Lord!  Have a great day and God bless you!!