As we come to the end of what has been the craziest year, well, ever, I’d be naïve to think that storms just magically vanish just because a calendar changes.
For all of us, we’ve been through the ringer one way or the other this year. But I’ve got good news. There is a God in heaven that neither slumbers nor sleeps & doesn’t bat an eye at the latest storm of life(Psalm 121:3-4).
Today, we’re going to discuss how not only to make it through the hard times when it feels like all hell’s breaking loose, but how to grow & thrive in the midst of it. In short: by holding on to the One who holds everything together.
If there’s one thing that I’ve learned over the past year: it’s how to fight. No I’m not talking about in the physical because I’m a chicken wing but in the spiritual.
We have to come to an understanding that there’s a constant war that goes on all around us for our souls, good vs evil; darkness vs light. There’s just one small detail that I left out. You can’t see it with your physical eyes. When we look at everything that has taken place just this year, it’s hard not to have grown spiritual eyes.
Let’s recap shall we? A pandemic spreads fear across the earth, racial injustice spreads division across the earth, and an election that would have you merc your parents after dinner. And that’s just a few of the highlights.
By this point you may be thinking, “why are you bringing up all the bad stuff Josiah, wasn’t this supposed to be encouraging?” well I’m glad you thought of that.
Y’see, I believe that sometimes to go forward, you gotta go back. Not back to the old way of living or the trauma, but to look back from a new perspective. Don’t believe me? Let me prove it to you.
The Bible says in Revelation 12:11 that we overcome the devil by the blood of the Lamb & the word of our testimony. Psalm 47:1 says to “shout to God with the voice of triumph.” You can’t have triumph without a battle. & You can’t testify to something you’ve never been through.
If you’re suffering right now, be glad. The apostle James tells us to “count it all joy whenever we fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of our produces patience(James:1:2). The apostle Peter also bolsters this sentiment in his own epistle by encouraging us in saying to “rejoice to the extent you partake in Christ’s suffering, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy”(1 Peter 4:12-16).
Nothing worth having comes without a battle. And nothing worth having comes quick. Con artists & robbers don’t spend all their time planning on looting McDonald’s & Burger Kings. They set their sights on the biggest score possible. Yet even they know that the biggest score requires the most time put into the plan. You’ll see where I’m going with this in a second.
From whatever you’ve been battling through this year: job loss, relationships falling apart, seclusion, family members passing, or a plethora of others, understand this.
When you follow Jesus, you’re suffering is never in vain(Romans 8:28). Every heartbreak, every lonely night spent in crying & confusion was for a reason, it’s leading you to a “ big score”(Psalm 126:5). Big victories only come from big battles.
We serve a God that tells us in Isaiah 55:8-9 that “My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than yours ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
When you understand that the Father doesn’t see from a right now perspective, but He’s everywhere in time & space, you start to grasp what He’s talking about. We as humans may not understand the “why” to what is happening in our lives or even what’s to come, but we don’t have to. The Holy Spirit has promised us a peace that passes all understanding in times like this(Philippians 4:7-8).
Jesus spoke to this in a parable early in His ministry in Matthew 7:24-25. He told us that whether you serve Him or not, storms in life are gonna come to beat on us “houses”. The only difference is is the result after the storm has past. When you build your life solely on His Word, the rain can come, the floods can pour, and the winds can beat on you all they want. You may struggle & bend, but you will never be destroyed when you’ve built your life on Him.
So how do we get through a storm? Let’s get practical:
Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-19.
If you’re unsure how to not quench the Spirit, it’s simple. Just make sure to do everything that’s mentioned before that & you’ll be good.
Does it hurt right now? I’m sure it does, probably more than I could ever comprehend. But let me finish with this. When Jesus resurrected from the dead, have you wondered why He kept the scars? They certainly weren’t for Him, because He’s God & He could’ve easily healed Himself to make it look like the crucifixion never happened. And as far as I know He didn’t go senile.
He kept His scars for us, so we would never forget His sacrifice(John 20:24-27). They are His testimony. So I want to pose a hypothetical to you.
What if the beating from the storms of life that you’re taking right now would one day become your “scars” to show someone who’s going through what you went through that there’s Hope? What if the storms of today became your testimony of tomorrow?
If you’re down bad right now, be encouraged. The morning is coming(Psalm 30:5). But in the meantime, learn to praise God through the midst of the fire(Psalm 34:1). Why? Because the way you suffer is worship, a weapon & a testimony at the same time(2 Corinthians 10:4-5; Philippians 2:14-15). The fact that you’re alive to read this is more than enough reason to thank God. We can demonstrate that being with Holy Spirit is fullness of joy & circumstances can never change that(Psalm 16:11). And even if He never does another thing for us, He’ll still be worthy of praise(Psalm 96:4).
I don’t say this as a tagline or out of routine. Jesus truly loves you no matter what you’ve done & He’ll forgive you, give you a clean start & a new life if you give your life to Him(Romans 10:9-10). That’s why us Christians call it Good News😂. God loves you & so do I:) Be blessed!