.
Troubled
Waters
3 Kinds of Storms—And Where They Come From
The
underlying foundation for understanding the storms of life is found in Psalm
103:19, “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His
sovereignty rules over all.”
And in Psalm 107:23-32, a
descriptive example of a literal storm provides insight into the Lord’s role in
the various storms that come our way.
The scene is a ship at sea battling the wind and waves.
In the midst of misery and
helplessness, the sailors call out for God’s help, and He brings them out of
their distress by calming the storm and safely guiding them to their desired
haven.
In response, they thank the
Lord for His lovingkindness and wondrous deliverance and extol Him to the
people.
Was God in the storm? According
to verse 25, the answer is yes: “For He spoke and raised up a stormy wind,
which lifted up the waves of the sea.”
Sometimes the Lord interrupts
our lives by sending turbulence, but on other occasions, we create the chaotic
conditions with our sinful choices.
Our troubles could also be
the result of natural occurrences.
No matter what the source,
ultimately, God is in every situation because His sovereignty rules over all.
Let’s consider what kind of
storms we might face and where they would come from.
There
are three kinds of storms:
1. Natural storms. Hurricanes, floods,
and tornadoes fall into this category.
2. Emotional storms. These are often worse
than physical storms and include the following situations:
· Poor health.
· Financial struggles. Economic downturns or the loss of a job
challenge us to believe the Bible and trust God to comfort, support, and
provide.
· Relationship difficulties. Stormy conditions in the home or
feelings of rejection cause stress and grind at our hearts.
3. Spiritual storms. Disobeying God and
choosing our own way results in spiritual turbulence as the Holy Spirit
convicts us.
Being outside His will
changes our conduct, conversation, and character, making us at odds with what
the Lord wants us to be.
What
are the sources of our storms?
Ourselves. We can bring trouble
upon ourselves with willful disobedience.
The
devil. Satan
can create a storm through temptation.
David’s sin recorded in 1 Samuel 11:1-5 shows
the progression of temptation.
· David was where he shouldn’t have been. When his army went to
battle, David stayed at home instead of taking his place with his troops.
· He saw what he should not have seen. As he walked on his
rooftop, he saw a woman bathing. Instead of turning away, he kept looking.
· His look turned to lust, and he sent for her.
· His lust gave birth to an act of sin.
David was in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with a wrong
look, wrong thoughts, and the power to act on his lust.
The result was pregnancy, a
continuing course of sinful actions, and painful consequences that lasted a lifetime.
God. Sometimes the Lord brings storms into our lives for His divine
purposes.
Although they are painful,
God is motivated by His love for us.
What kind of storms are you facing today? Whether they’re of
your own making or not, know that God is in control.
When we keep our eyes focused
on the horizon of His eternal love and sovereignty, we can ride out the waves
that come our way—and come out for the better on the other side.
This
article is adapted from the Sermon Notes for Dr. Stanley’s message “Life's Passing Storms,” which
aired this past weekend on TV.
No comments:
Post a Comment