Finding Strength in God During Difficult Times

 

 

Have you ever experienced a hurricane, tornado, wildfire, earthquake, or any of the other major natural disasters? I have experienced many hurricanes and they have been terrifying. The hurricane season runs from May to the end of November each year.  Once the hurricane season starts, it is important for those of us who live in such zones to pay close attention to the weather reports. This will help us to be aware if one develops, and to learn which countries it will affect, the path that it will travel to, and the cities that it may impact.

 

When a hurricane is predicted to affect where I live, I begin to pray. Not just me, Christians all around begin to pray asking God to turn the hurricane away from its current path so that we will not be directly affected. I always ask this question, if God causes the hurricane to shift from the current path and miss my city, but it affects another city, is that fair? Also, the Christians in the other town are praying for a similar shift, whose prayer should God answer?  

 

Be Prepared

 

Living in the USA, you will be faced with certain natural disasters each year depending on where you live, and there is nothing you can do about it other than prepare. California battles forest fires every summer, Florida battles hurricanes from summer to autumn, Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Florida, and Nebraska are noted for tornadoes, and other states have heavy winter snowfall which is hazardous. Most of the USA, except Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi (as they get the least amount of snow, if any), face the onslaught of winter each year. As for earthquakes, we never know when or where they will strike. This blog is not about the weather or natural disasters, but just as we prepare to manage natural disasters, we must also be prepared to manage the disasters in our own lives. As long as we are in this body of flesh, we will have tribulations. We must be prepared to manage their effects. 

 

John 16 vs 33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Jesus was speaking to the disciples and reminding them that tribulation is unavoidable, but He told them not to worry but to be happy because He had overcome the world. Jesus outlined the steps to deal with tribulation. These are:  Be at peace, Be of good cheer and He has overcome the world.

 

Since we know that tribulation is a natural part of our life, we are mentally at peace knowing that Christ is with us and in us. Just like when Jesus was in the boat with the disciples and was sleeping. Mark 4: 37 – 41, “And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.  And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? and he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, what manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” We are to be at peace because Jesus is with us and in us, He will never leave us alone.

 

God Is In Us

 

You and I are filled with the Holy Ghost, so Christ in us the hope of glory. His spirit works on our minds and inspires us with internal happiness which causes us to be of good cheer. We know that Jesus has already overcome the world and since we are complete in Him, He will help us to also overcome the tribulations that are in this world and that will affect us.

 

The Bible says the trials we face are common to all men and women whether we are saved or not. How we handle these trials will be based on our beliefs, principles, and faith. God prepares us to handle life's storms by teaching us the principles of success found in 2 Peter 1: 1-10 “Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:  Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:”

 

The Principles of Success

 

The principles of success are faith in the word of God while acquiring the knowledge of God and believing in His promises. We then should be diligent in adding to our faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and finally charity. If these things are in us, Jesus says we will not fall.

Diligence is being steady, earnest, and giving energetic effort to a task we will work devotedly and painstakingly to accomplish our objectives.

Faith is complete trust or confidence in someone or something. A strong belief in God or in the doctrines of religion is based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.

Virtue is behavior showing high moral standards.

Knowledge is facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education, the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject.

Temperance is moderation in action, thought, or feeling, and restraint.

Patience is the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.

Godliness is the quality or practice of conforming to the laws and wishes of God; devoutness and moral uprightness.

Brotherly Kindness comes from the Greek term “Philadelphia” literally meaning the love of brothers.

Charity - When we have charity, we are loyal, we believe in the best of others, and we are kind to them. We have pure love when, from the heart, we show genuine concern and compassion for all our brothers and sisters.

 

We are Changing.

 

We are to grow into the image of Christ and since growth takes time, gradually we cultivate the internal quality to be diligent and earnest in seeking after Christ so that our faith increases in Him. As our faith in His word grows, we become more virtuous, and our love for truth increases. This leads to us acquiring more knowledge. The more knowledgeable we are, the more temperate and patient we grow. Then we learn godliness which helps us to love our brothers. The spirit of love flows out of us, and the quality of Christ begins to shine out of our lives and is felt by those around us. Our wives, our children, our co-workers, our neighbors, and our friends.      

 

Now we are maturing into the fulness of Christ which helps us to find strength in God during difficult times. As the word of Jesus comes alive in our spirit and mind and lives out practically with ourselves and people. When hard times come, we are at peace with ourselves, we are cheerful because we have overcome the world. We know that there hath no temptation taken us, but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that we may be able to bear it.

  

Our Lord Jesus told us that “Now Are we the sons of God”. This is one of the purposes of salvation to change us into His image and make us joint heir with Him. With this reality, it changes how we view the challenges of life. Now we rejoice in tribulation because we understand what it is doing for us and who it is making us to be like.