#13 “The Storms of Life”
So, I was on my way home from church one day when the unthinkable happened. It…….rained…. I don’t mean that “drizzly” type of rain. This was the, “standing under the showerhead and washing your face” kind of rain. I put my windshield wipers on their maximum speed and watched as they were no match for the torrent I was in. I was completely stuck in this mess, and with no way to turn off the highway, I just continued to move forward. Minute after minute, I drove in the direction that made the most sense to me; uncertain of how long I would be in this rain or where an opportunity for me to drive out of it would occur. After what felt like an eternity, I noticed that I could begin to see out of my front window. It was not very clear, but I could definitely tell that progress was being made. From that point on, the longer I drove the clearer my window got until, finally, I was out of the storm.
Have you ever felt like you were in the middle of a “life” storm? Have you ever been in a place where it seems like nothing is going your way? You feel beaten… You feel bruised...You feel exhausted...You feel confused…Sometimes, you feel….betrayed. One of the hardest parts about these storms is rationalizing why they happen to us. You start asking God, “Why did I lose my job?” “Why did I lose my family member?” “Why are people turning against me?” “I haven’t done anything wrong, so why me?”
In the book of Job, we encounter a man that is known to love God with all his heart. He’s wealthy, but he is a humble man that takes care of his family and servants. One day, however, his entire world gets flipped upside down. Out of nowhere, he and his entire estate are hit with random afflictions that can’t be accounted for. Whatever can get worse does get worse. His family and cattle are taken from him, and while he mourns them he becomes afflicted with a terrible disease. His wife tells him to curse God and die. His friends accuse him of sinning and claim that this is divine retribution. Job turns to God, asking about the offense and looking for a chance to repent. Instead, he’s greeted with a series of questions concerning God’s ability. At one point, Job wished for the day of birth to perish. He was ready to die.
What Job didn’t remember at the time, and what we often forget during trying times, is that God will not leave us in any situation. At the beginning of the book, we learn that Job is being stricken with misfortune because Satan received God’s permission to do so as a test to Job, which Satan initially asked for. These afflictions were not done as a type of punishment for Job; rather they were a testament to Satan that Job would never curse God. As mentioned earlier, God asks Job some questions about His power. They were not meant to diminish the pain that Job was enduring, but rather served as proof that God is and will always be in control. At the end of the book, we learn that God multiplied everything that Job had lost and blessed him beyond measure. Now, these blessings most likely did not mitigate the hurt caused by the loss of his loved ones. However, what we do see is Job remembering who God is and that no matter what happens or what he would go through, God would always be right there with him.
Life has a way of putting us through “storms”; storms that we never asked for nor planned for. We get beaten and bruised by circumstances, eventually kneeling and wanting to throw in the towel. Here’s the thing about storms...they always end. When I was driving, I had no idea how long my vision would be obscured or how long the torrent would last. But, I knew that if I kept going straight, I would eventually make it through. In that same way, trouble will not last always. While God does send rain on the just and unjust, He is also ordering our steps when we can’t see our way forward. When tragedy strikes, lean into God. In your fear, in your frustration, in your doubt, in your storm, lean into God. There are times when we will be upset with Him; lean into Him. He can take it. If He can deliver Noah’s family from a flood that covered the entire Earth; I can guarantee that He will order our steps through any storm if we trust Him.
Find time to read through some of Job this week.
”The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Number 6:25-26
