In The Storm

We all have an idea of what our lives will be like in the future - where we'd like to see ourselves. We all have a way we'd like to answer the question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" But what happens when all of our hopes and dreams suddenly change?

Sometimes our lives change based on our own decisions.  Deciding to drink and drive can lead to some pretty substantial consequences. We often do things in the dark that we would never do in the light. Bad decisions change lives in a bad way.

But what happens when we get a call from the doctor with some bad news or when a uniformed soldier knocks on the front door. Our lives can change in a second. "Why" has got to be the most often-asked question at times like that.

So, what do we do? There are no answers that pop into our heads to make life all warm and fuzzy again. What do we do? Where do we turn? Where can we possibly find hope?

Right now I am reading through the Book of Job. Now there's a guy who definitely went through the wringer. His entire family died, he lost all of his possessions AND he got extremely ill. He had it all, then he lost it all. Far from where Job thought he would end up.

Why? Why did God allow this to happen? The main reason was that God wanted to prove a point. These are things that we can take away from the Book of Job. They will help us walk through the toughest of storms.

1. God is God. We are not. When life gets "comfortable" we humans tend to not rely on God so much. That is a mistake.
2. God allows things in our lives for a reason. God always has a purpose or goal in mind. Sometimes God wants to get our attention.
3. God will bless us IF we are faithful. To those who believe and follow God, He has promised to bless us. Forgiveness of sins, eternal life, no more pain or suffering.

Although Job complained and whined through most of the book, God blessed Job for his faithfulness. We need to remember ALL of these things when we struggle in life. We all have hopes and dreams but the only way we can be truly blessed in the end is if God is at the center, the focus, of those dreams.

"And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” - Job 1:21

I'm not saying that everything bad that happens is from God. What I AM saying is that, WHEN bad things happen, how we react to them defines who we are in God's eyes.

None of us knows WHY painful things happen in our lives. The important thing for us to remember is to praise God through them.

"1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging." - Psalm 46:1-3

Praise You In This Storm - Casting Crowns