Weathering a Storm – Notes

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God’s Role

When facing a crisis, nothing is more important than knowing who God is — His love, care, control, and power. Only the Bible reveals the true extent of God’s involvement in our challenges. If we have an inadequate or warped view of God and His purposes, we won’t fully embrace and learn from our challenges. What’s more, we will forfeit the peace, contentment, and even joy that God makes available to us in the midst of the storm.

God loves you.

First John 4:8 sums up God’s nature: “. . . God is love.” God loves you and remains intimately involved with you as an individual throughout your whole life. Consider Psalm 139:17-18 from two different translations.

• “How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand” (NIV).
• “How precious it is, Lord, to realize that you are thinking about me constantly! I can’t even count how many times a day your thoughts turn toward me” (TLB).

In other words, as mind-boggling as this concept might be — the Creator of the universe never stops thinking about you!

In any crisis, it’s critical to be reminded of God’s unfailing love and faithfulness. Why? Because it’s so very easy to become discouraged and even lose hope in such times. It’s easy to forget God’s love and care for you, especially when adversity first strikes — or goes on and on for what feels like an eternity.

God Is in Control

God is ultimately in control of every event. This is but a sampling of passages that affirm His control:

• “Our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases” (Psalm 115:3).
• “. . . We adore you as being in control of everything” (1 Chronicles 29:11, TLB).
• “Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and on earth . . .” (Psalm 135:6).
• “. . . My [the Lord’s] purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please” (Isaiah 46:10, NIV).
• “For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37).

The Lord is in control even of difficult events. “. . . I am the Lord, and there is no one else, the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating disaster; I am the Lord who does all these things” (Isaiah 45:6-7).

God Has a Purpose for Adversity

The Cecropia moth emerges from its cocoon only after a long, exhausting struggle to free itself. A young boy, wishing to help the moth, carefully slit the exterior of the cocoon. Soon it came out, but its wings were shriveled and couldn’t function. What the young boy didn’t realize was that the moth’s struggle to liberate itself from the cocoon was essential to the development its wings and its ability to fly.

Much like the cocoon of the moth, adversity has a part to play in our lives. God uses those difficult, sometimes heartbreaking times to mature us in Christ. James 1:2-4 says it this way: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (NIV).

God designs challenging circumstances for our ultimate benefit. Romans 8:28-29 tells us, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son. . .” (NIV). The primary good that God works in our lives is to make us more like Christ.

The Eye of the Storm

There are several things we can do to survive — and even grow — when we find ourselves in the storm.

Get your finances in order.

I’ve been close to many people facing gut-wrenching financial storms. And the first question they usually ask is, how can I solve the problem?

Jesus answers the question this way in Matthew 7:24-25: “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” (NIV).

The key to solving your financial problems is learning and practicing God’s way of handling money and operating a business if you have one. It truly is that simple. Part of what you’ve learned is to be a generous giver. When facing a financial crisis, the tendency is to hold on tightly to what we have at the expense of our generosity. A passage in the book of Acts, however, shows us a different way. In Acts 11:28-29 we read: “Agabus [a prophet] . . . through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea” (NIV).

Consider this. The Holy Spirit revealed through a prophet that a severe worldwide famine was coming soon, and their first reaction was to give! Don’t allow a crisis to stop you from remaining generous. You may not be able to give as much as you did previously, but still give.

Never go through a storm alone.

I want to emphasize the importance of not going it alone. It is almost impossible to make wise decisions in isolation in the midst of a crisis. Seek advice from people who have been through similar situations. You will draw strength not only from their emotional support, but also from their experience. There are people all around you who have weathered similar storms, and you can gain from their knowledge, learning of mistakes to avoid and resources to help. Ask your church and friends to pray; it’s their most powerful contribution.

Live one day at a time.

Roberto Menendez started and built a successful construction business. He was extremely generous and enjoyed a wonderful reputation. And then came the crushing financial crisis of 2008 — crippling his business and pushing him to the brink of bankruptcy.

Roberto confided, “In a crisis, the tendency is to look ahead and become overwhelmed with all the problems. We are to plan ahead, but for our mental and emotional health we must follow what Jesus Christ told us: “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34, NIV).

Live focused on today! And if the crisis becomes overwhelming, focus on one moment at a time in close fellowship with Christ. This is not “escape from reality”; it is a practical way to stay close to the only One who can help us through the challenge.

Be patient, waiting for God’s timing.

Expectations can be damaging during a crisis. When we assume that the Lord will solve our problems in a certain way or by a certain time, we set ourselves up for disappointment and frustration.

Someone described patience as accepting a difficult situation without giving God a deadline for removing it. Remember, God’s primary purpose in allowing a crisis in the first place is to conform you to Jesus Christ. He is at work in your life, and He knows exactly how long it will take to produce the results He wants. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every matter under heaven.”

Glance at the problem, gaze at Christ.

We are to work diligently to solve problems, while keeping full awareness that we need the moment-by-moment help and counsel of the Lord who loves us. Think of it this way: we are to glance at the problem and gaze at Christ.

One of my favorite passages when facing difficulties is Philippians 4:6-7. Every phrase is loaded with meaning. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (NIV).

Forgive others.

God realizes how critical it is for us to forgive those who have caused or contributed to our crisis, regardless of their motivation. One of the most impressive characteristics of Jesus Christ was His willingness to forgive. Imagine hanging on a cross in unspeakable agony and at the same time praying for those who had crucified you: “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).

In order to grow more like Christ and experience the benefits He intends for us during a crisis, we must forgive. And more than forgive, we are to be kind, compassionate, and seek to be a blessing. “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32, NIV). “Not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you would inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:9).