For me, the proverbial storms have been raging. Circumstances have come about that have brought me to a low place... a place I don't like to be. The thief has come to steal, kill and destroy... and it seems that I have let him. Without putting up a fight my joy was the first thing to go. With no joy my hope was an easy target. From there all that was left was my faith... and by God's grace I held onto that... by a string... by the hem of His garment... my faith was stirred, rattled, and placed on edge, by I didn't let go. I couldn't. He wouldn't allow it... and I am grateful.
It is a slippery slope. It is so easy to get consumed by it all. Our circumstances, whether health related, finance related, heart (as in love) related, any of these, all of these, can pick us up and carry us away if we allow them too. In the midst of them our circumstances look so huge... so big... everything else can be hidden, overcome, drowned out, or fade away. But this is where faith comes in... it's where Jesus steps in... it's where we reach out for a hand to hold onto that we have forgotten is already holding onto us. And this hand won't slip. This hand won't let go... no matter how bad things may get.
Big Circumstances... even bigger God.
There is a phrase, a saying, that I have come to love, and it goes like this... "Don't tell God how big your storm is, tell the storm how big your God is."
I could rewrite that and say... "Don't tell God how bad your circumstances are, tell those circumstances how good your God is."
But how do we tell anything to a storm? How do we tell our circumstances anything at all?
The answer to these questions seems so easy... and it is easy. Easy to say, but not so easy to live out. But the answer is that we live in faith. A fully trusting, absolutely believing, wholly depending faith that even though we may waver, we never give up. Trusting fully upon God. Believing absolutely in God. Depending wholly on a God who cares.
In the midst of the storm we trust fully upon God to keep us.
In the midst of the storm we believe absolutely that God is there with us.
In the midst of the storm we depend wholly on God to bring us to the other side.
I guess that is the hard part though isn't it. But if we know who our God is, should it be? Isn't this the same God who parted the Red Sea? Isn't this the same God who was found walking around in the furnace with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego? Isn't our God the same God who shut the mouths of the lions to deliver Daniel?
Exodus 14:13
13 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.
Exodus 14:21-22
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. 22ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry
Daniel 3:24-25 (New King James Version)
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?”They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.”
25 “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”
Daniel 6:22 (New King James Version)
22 My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.”Imagine what the Israelites were thinking as they walked in between two walls of water... Egyptian army chasing behind... how bad does that storm sound, how bad are those circumstances? Yet God still brought them through. Even though they bickered and complained, or, even as their faith wavered, God still brought them through to the other side.
Again, imagine Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego... imagine as they were tied up and tossed into the fires of the furnace... a furnace burning so hot that some of the kings men died when they got close to it... imagine what they were thinking. The account says that they did not waver, they did not lose faith, they trusted that God would save them from the fires if He desired to. And He did. Not only did He save them, He was in the furnace with them.
And once again, imagine Daniel, imagine how he felt when he was sentenced. Yet in this instance even the King, Darius, prayed that God would deliver Daniel. Still though, being thrown into the den of lions, Daniel now had some serious circumstances to deal with. It doesn't mention what he did or how he felt, but we knew Daniel was of great faith. Still though you have to wonder if he wavered, if he doubted, if he was scared. In the end we know that God delivered him.
In the midst of the storm Daniel trusted fully upon God to keep him.
In the midst of the storm Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego believed absolutely that God was there with them.
In the midst of the storm the Israelites depended wholly on God to bring them to the other side.
Though the circumstances were huge, and the obstacles monumental, God was still there. Our circumstances may be huge, and our obstacles may be monumental, but God is there with us. One of the best stories we can use to illustrate this is found in Matthew...
Matthew 8:23-26 (New King James Version)
23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. 25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
Jesus was with them... but He was sleeping. It may seem that way for us too. As our crisis rolls in and quickly becomes out of control we may feel like God is sleeping on the job. We may tend to focus on that even more than the fact that God is right there with us. As the waves crash in, He may be silent. As the clouds roll in and hide the sun, He may stand still. As the fires start and quickly turn ablaze, He may allow them to burn... for a while. But in all of it He will be with us. Through all of it He will be there. He promised to see us through it all to the other side... He just never promised that it would be easy.
The question is... will we trust Him, believe Him, and depend on Him?
There is another great example of trusting God and His word to us. Again we can find it in the Gospels...
Matthew 14:24-32 (New King James Version)
24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.
27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
In this one passage we see fear, doubt, and circumstances overcome faith twice. It shows how easy it can be as we focus solely on what is happening to us, instead of who we believe in. Now these were the men who walked with Jesus, ate with Jesus, preached with Jesus, and got to see Him perform many miracles firsthand... and still they lost sight in the midst of a storm. Why would we think any less for ourselves?
By now I have come to grips with the fact that living a life of faith is not easy. Life is hard enough without the cross shaped target on the back of a believer. Non believers mock, satan tempts, storms still rage, the world is against, the road is narrow and it is hard... but in all of it God is with us.
It is in the trials that God builds character... He builds that character in us.
It is in the fires that God refines like gold... it is the believer that He refines like gold.
It is in the middle of the storms that God develops faith... our faith in Him.
It is in the circumstances that God nurtures trust... our trust in Him.
All of this produces a faith that perseveres, a faith that believes, a faith that trusts... and a faith that hopes, in all things, we hope.
As Paul put it...
Romans 5:2-4 (New King James Version)
2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Some music for you to enjoy...
Chris Tomlin -- "Our God"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXTh9qYGtTw
Bebo Norman -- "God of my Everything"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TfV6nOVCUk
Bebo Norman -- "We Fall Apart"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlR3Xoegq2I
The Afters -- "Light up the Sky"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LQH6UDi15s
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