Through the Storms

The following is an excerpt from a Bible Study by Beth Moore called Breaking Free. It's slightly edited to fit this blog, but the meat is all there! Beth's words are quoted while mine are not. It touched me, and I hope it does the same for you.

"God's Word often tells us not to fear, yet not all our fears are unfounded. Think about it. Our present society poses many real threats."

God is WITH us.

"Sometimes frightening things can happen to believers as well as unbelievers. If God's presence doesn't ensure that nothing frightening will ever happen to us, how could the assurance of God's constant presence still be the quieter of our fears?"

When you pass through the waters

I will be with you.

When you pass through the rivers,

they will not overflow you.

When you walk through the fire,

you will not be scorched.

Isaiah 43:2-3

Notice how the Lord says, "When". There are many times in my life when I've wondered why I've had to endure hardship. Death, relationships, past mistakes, lack of future clarity, and health problems are a few of the rough waters that I've had to pass through. What's the point?

"Can you think of a time when you sensed God's presence the clearest? What were the circumstances? Can you think of a time in your life when you could not sense God's presence at all? What were the circumstances?"

Where can I go from your Spirit?

    Where can I flee from your presence?

⁸ 

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

⁹ 

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

    if I settle on the far side of the sea,

¹⁰ 

even there your hand will guide me,

    your right hand will hold me fast.

¹¹ 

If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me

    and the light become night around me,”

¹² 

even the darkness will not be dark to you;

    the night will shine like the day,

    for darkness is as light to you.

Psalm 139:7-12

"Never will I leave you,

Never will I forsake you."

Hebrews 13:5b

"God's presence is absolutely unchanging, but the evidence of His presence is not. On some occasions God may purposely alter the evidences of His presence to bring the most benefit from our experience. Sometimes we receive the most benefit from seeing many visible "prints" of His invisible hands during a difficult season. Other times, we profit most from seeing fewer evidences."

 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”

But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”

Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

John 20:24-29

"In the above passage, what did Christ say to one who insisted on seeing literal "prints"?"

"God does not love us less when He gives us fewer evidences. He simply desires to grow us up and teach us to talk by faith and not by sight. These steps are most challenging when we're delivered through frightening experiences rather than from them."

The point is not that we have nothing to fear and cowardice is simply an unreasonable state of mind. Christ's presence is the basis for courage in our storms. He did not say, "Take courage! I am calming the storm! Don't be afraid." Instead, with the winds still raging, He said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

"Christ does not always immediately calm the storm, but He is always willing to calm His child on the basis of His presence. If He lets the waters continue to swell, it's because he wants to us to see Him walk on the water. This set of prints can be seen only in a storm. We'll probably never learn to enjoy our storms, but we can learn to enjoy God's presence in the storm!"

You make known to me the path of life;

    you will fill me with joy in your presence,

    with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Psalm 16:11

There is JOY in His PRESENCE!

Instead of avoiding the storms of your life, choose to use the storms to build your relationship with the Lord and see his "prints" on your life!