Others went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters. They saw the works of the LORD, His wonderful deeds in the deep. For He spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves. They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths; in their peril their courage melted away. They reeled and staggered like drunken men; they were at their wits' end. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. -Psalm 107:23-30
One of the great ironies of our faith is that we see God most clearly during storms and trials.
It's a rare thing, indeed, when a soul is added to the Kingdom in prosperity or peace. Humans demonstrate a remarkable penchant for ignoring God in prosperity; or forgetting God when things go well. The roller-coaster faith of
How ironic that truth seems to Christians! Most of us found a peace we never dreamed possible in those early moments of salvation, when-face to face with our sinful nature-we cried out to God and received in return the righteousness of Jesus. How majestic were those days when we understood God's pledge to move our sins "as far as the East is from the West" and then, just to stamp in our hearts His unending capacity to love, He went on to promise He would "remember them no more."
Characteristic of our human frailty, we expect that peace to last.
After all, who could believe that moment would dissipate? Who could imagine a time when we'd forget the dreadful judgment we escaped, or the wondrous relief we felt at having guilt and shame lifted from our shoulders?
And yet-
Who among us hasn't been seduced by life's glitzy side, or wearied by its' struggles? Who among us hasn't longed for freedom from conflict, or wished for safety and security and stress-free living? Who among us hasn't found the Spirit's call to sacrifice and service silenced by the comfort of prosperity?
This explains why evangelism is so hard in American workplaces; why the more highly developed nations struggle with and rebel against Christianity even as revival sweeps through poor and oppressed people groups. People look to themselves when things are going well; they look to God when they aren't.
Just as God works in and through the storms of life, so, too, must we. For those are the moments when others will see God most clearly; those are the moments when we're most likely to reach them for Him. Those are the moments where most of our resources, most of our energy, most of our efforts should be directed. That's when their rudderless souls will be guided to the only port that matters, the desired haven that is the great love of God.
Whoever is wise, let him heed these things
and consider the great love of the LORD.-Psalm 107:43
--Randy Kilgore
If you're looking for a remarkable Scripture passage to explore, we invite you to read all of Psalm 107. It describes in three episodes of life all of us can understand, just how deeply the Father loves us, and how omni-present He really is.
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