Hello Readers & Followers,
I hope you are well.
We all face storms in life —regardless of our race, age, gender, social status, or position within the church. This includes individuals in roles such as Reverend, Minister, or Pastor. Life’s challenges can touch us all, and nobody is exempt.
Job 14:1b says, "Everyone born of a woman will experience trouble." Nevertheless, God says in Isaiah 43:1-3 that, "When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up—the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, your Saviour..." God is reassuring you that you are only passing through all the life's storms and they will not crush you because He is with you.
One way to manage life's storms is to identify their source or cause, allowing you to learn how to deal with them effectively. It is God's desire that none of life's storms will crush any of His children. Did you know that God's true children are those who believe in Him and apply His teachings to their lives? - John 1:12-13 and Romans 8:14. Our Heavenly Father is not the Father of everyone. Jesus said to some religious people in John 8:44, "Your father is the devil as you do what he wants..."
Back to the teaching, so what types of storms could you experience on this earth?
1) The Storm of Life - This is a storm that happens to every individual, whether you are a Christian or not. It could be the death of a friend or a family member, waiting that is beyond your control, sudden health issues, conflict in a relationship, war in your country or a neighbouring country, and it has affected the cost of living, unsuccessful job interviews, etc.
When the storm of life comes, depending on its severity, only a life built on the Word of God will stand. In Matthew 7:24-27, two men chose to build on different foundations. When the storms hit, only one of their buildings remained intact, while the other one crashed. Why was this? This was due to how they built the foundation of each building.
What could help you manage the storms of life?
- Feeding your mind on the true Word of God
- Praying (In Word, through Music, through Journalling, through arts, prayer walking, praying in the Spirit)
- Making a conscious effort to fellowship with Christians by attending church
- Seeking counsel from a Christian counsellor
- Seeking therapy from a Christian therapist
- Asking your Pastor to pray for you
- Fasting and Prayer.
2) The Storm of Disobedience - The example of Jonah in the Book of Jonah 1:4, the Lord sent a strong wind to blow, and such a bad storm came up, and the ship that Jonah was in was about to be broken to pieces due to Jonah's disobedience. Jonah was choosing to run away from the instructions the Lord had given him. Jonah realised what he had done, and he asked to be thrown into the sea, and a fish swallowed him - Jonah 1:12.
From inside the fish, Jonah prayed to the Lord his God, who ensured that the storm of disobedience did not kill him. Jonah's prayer:
When I was in trouble, Lord,
I prayed to you, and you listened to me.
From deep in the world of the dead,
I begged for your help, and you answered my prayer. - Jonah 2:1-2.
The Lord answered Jonah's prayer, and He restored him.
We also have the example of the Prodigal Son, who made some poor choices, and the Lord enabled him to come to his senses after he had experienced a storm by feeding on pig food, but the ultimate goal of the storm was to restore him to his father. - Luke 15:11-32.
3) The Storm of Opposition - This storm is sent by the devil through human beings to stop or oppose you from fulfilling God's purpose for your life. Jesus rebuked the devil when the devil brought the storm of opposition to His disciples' ways through a very strong wind in the boat. Jesus rebuked the wind. - Luke 8:22-25.
It's not a nice experience when the devil tries to oppose us as Christians, but one thing I would like to assure you is that Christ has conquered the devil and has overcome the world - John 16:33. God will make everything to work together for your good, especially if you love the Lord. - Romans 8:28. Joseph experienced a lot of challenges from the opposition, but God caused everything to work together for his good.
4) The Storm of the Lord - The Lord can send storms to destroy your enemies, as vengeance is the Lord's. The Lord allowed the Red Sea to swallow the Egyptians. The Lord allowed David to destroy Goliath, who was an enemy of God's children. Jeremiah 30:23-24 says:
See, the storm of the Lord will burst out in wrath,
a driving wind swirling down on the heads of the wicked.
The fierce anger of the Lord will not turn back until He fully accomplishes the purposes of His heart.
In days to come, you will understand this.
How to recognise where the storm is coming from?
A) Spend time continuously asking the Lord where the storm is coming from.
B) Ask the Lord to search your heart. Is there anything that you have done that may have caused this?
C) Ask the Lord for His specific instructions on how to manage the storms.
D) God is sovereign; thus, He may choose not to tell you where the storm has come from and why you have experienced the storm or are still experiencing the storm, but be assured that His presence will be with you in the storm and He will see you through. Let me leave you with one of the Scriptures that I started with. God says in Isaiah 43:1-3 that, "When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up—the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, your Saviour..." God is reassuring you that you are only passing through all the life's storms and they will not crush you because He is with you.
I love hearing from you in the comment section. Please take a minute to say hello in the comment section.
Yours in Christ,
Mysses Lafunky
I have a free e-book for you. The book (15 Women of the Bible: How They Lived a Purpose-Driven Life). This e-book was written by my Bible Study Group. To download it on Google Drive for free, click here.
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