Do you have peace? Maybe you're not in a storm at the moment but we all are there at one time or another.
When we are in one of those storms we are not at peace are we? We are tossed to and fro and feel out of control. Sometimes we even feel that we will be drowned or destroyed by the storm. I've been there more than once and I bet you have too. Things such as divorce, loss of a job, accidents, and numerous other things cause us to not have peace. But God wants us to have peace even in those "storms" of life.
Isaiah 26:3 says "You (meaning God) will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you." vs 4 "Trust in the Lord forever for the Lord, the Lord is the Rock eternal." NIV
In Mark 4 we read of a time when the disciples and Jesus were in a boat on the sea of Gallilee. Even though they had with them the creator of the world, the disciples were afraid they might drown. The storm was raging all around them and Jesus was asleep! To them it seemed as if Jesus did not care. Sometimes, when we are in the midst of life's "storms" we may also feel Jesus just doesn't care. Maybe he is asleep or dealing with some other catastrophe and doesn't notice we are about to go under. At times we feel that we have to face these challenges all on our on. "Where is God?, " we ask ourselves. "Doesn't He care?"
The answer to that is YES!!!! God does care. Storms of life can serve to refocus our attention on God.
We are like gold being refined by fire, being made pure.
There is an old hymn that says "be very sure, your anchor holds and grips the solid ROCK"..."this ROCK is Jesus, yes he's the one, this ROCK is Jesus, God's only Son." If your life is not anchored to the ROCK, then you can be sure there will not be peace. As Christians, we are not spared life's storms, but be very sure that God promises us we can have peace in the midst of those storms if our lives are in His hands. Peace, that assurance; confidence if you will, that God has it under control, that He cares for you personally, and that no matter what happens He is there with you to give you peace; peace that passes all understanding.
If you are not experiencing peace then "turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face. And the things of life will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace." Give him praise in the midst of the storm for God inhabits our praises. Turn to him, cling to him, and anchor your life on the immovable ROCK!
Then you will have peace.
King David put it this way in Psalm 40
"I waited patiently for the Lord; He lifted me out of the slimy pit,out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord."
I don't know about you but I'm anything but patient. When I'm going through difficulty I want out of the storm and NOW! Here David reminds us that we have to wait patiently on God to act. Do you trust Him?
Did you see what the result was after God had helped David through one of his storms of life?
It served to bring others to God so that they, too, put their trust in the Lord.
You may not realize it but others are watching how you do in the storm. You will either inspire others to come to trust in God or else they will see that you don't really have anything special and they may turn away from God. Your life is a witness for good or bad. I love the imagery David gives here of being in the mud and mire. Man, when I'm having a rough time it can seem as if I've lost my footing and am gettting pretty dirty and just falling back into the mire and muck. David couldn't get himself out of it. He had to rely on God to set his feet on a rock which gave him sure footing so he could stand firmly. When we do come out of the storms of life, be sure to give praise to God. Don't take credit for it as if you did it on your own.
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| Storms in our lives |
