As long as we are living on this earth the storms of life are inevitable. Trust me everyone will be introduced to some type of storm in their life. Either you are in a storm or you are going to go through a storm. As we will go through life there will be hard times, difficulties, troubles, pain, tribulations, loss, trials, and crisis. You will find yourself in a place and have to face circumstances you never ever thought you anticipated. You will find yourself experiencing heartache and pain in ways that you would have never thought.
I have heard so many people ask the question, "why do bad things happen to good people." And sometimes we have the tendency to wonder why good things happen to bad people. But bad things happens to us and to everybody else, because we live in a sin sick world. And guess what? Good things happens to us too, and to everybody else also, because we serve a Mighty and Merciful God.
Jesus said that we will all face storms in this life. Matthew 7:24-27 says, "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." The Bible also says, "When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever" (Proverbs 10:25).
Storms hit us in our lives and we do not like the storms, but we did not ask for the storms, and they arrives anyway. And they come in all type of shapes and in so many different sizes and varieties. For some the storm might be health related, a disability, death, job loss, marital difficulty, children or grandchildren, loneliness, depression, separation, bitterness and unforgiveness. The list can go on and on. What is important is what do we do while in the midst of the storm. Do you wonder where is God in the midst of the storm? Do we see God?
I would like to share a story with you. It was supposed to be a regular doctor’s visit for an annual checkup. My husband would come home and tell me that everything was okay. But the news that day was very different, his cancer had returned after 10 years of being in submission. This time the cancer had spread to his bladder. Within a few months the cancer had spread to his bones and he was placed in Palliative Care. The shock of his previous diagnosis was shocking enough, but this last diagnosis and being place in Palliative Care devastated my fragile spirit.
I remember feeling a multitude of things during that time. I was shocked, confused, fearful. You see my late husband was a pastor. He was truly sold-out to Jesus. We had devoted our entire married life to following and serving Jesus. We thought that we were incarnated witnesses of Christ. As a result, God was supposed to protect us against the worst that the world could offer. We are supposed to enjoy God's protection, blessings, but not cancer. The Bible reminds us that when you are a Jesus lover, you must share His sufferings, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you" (1 Peter 4:12).
I tried to remind myself time and time again of the witnesses of the life of Christ and the early church, and how God could use suffering to refine and strengthen our faith. But my faith was being shaken, more like tested. Suffering and seeing someone you love suffering, shakes you with such a force that it separates your true thoughts and beliefs from anything to which you pay lip service. This process is painful, but with it, it is impossible to know where my belief fall short of and what Scripture is truly teaches me.
But I truly understand and know that God has never promised us that our life would be pain free, or that we would never have to endure hardships in this sinful world. So I could not hold God accountable to a promise that He never made. God has made us many promises, but never a promise that we would not suffer or have hardships. I know what Isaiah 43:2 tells us, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze." This Scripture is a promise, but not a promise that we will never suffer. In fact, it implies that we will pass through waters, rivers, and any fire elements that could easily destroy us. The promise is that when we do, God will be with us. Those waters and the rivers will not overwhelm us. Nor will the fire burn and consume us.
Even Psalm 23:4 reminds us, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me." Again we see that God does not promise us that He would shield us from the valley of persecution, the valley of loss, the valley of illness, the valley of cancer. But God was with us during my husband's illness. Our friends and family rallied around us in prayer and support. After a few months later, God called my husband home to glory. It was God that assured me that He would never leave and how He had blessed me with an amazing man. God showed me His enduring love and His presence. The promises of Isaiah 43:2 and Psalm 23 proved to be true to me.
God promised to stand by our side in the midst of our suffering. But these are not the only promises that God makes to us. God is a God of salvation, peace, love, order, but on His own terms and not on our terms. God is the Alpha and Omega, which means the beginning and the end. Since God is eternal and has no beginning or end, He is the Beginner (the First) and also the Ender (the Last). He will complete everything that will be completed, but He will never end. He does not cater to our whims. He may not do the things that we request, but that doesn't mean that He does not work on our behalf. Romans 8:28 tells us, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." He is working all things for the good of those who love Him, but He does so in His own mysterious ways. Our God is omnipotent, meaning He has unlimited power. God can do whatever He wants to do, and whatever He does is good.
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