Weathering the Storms of Life A Six-Part Series

Part One

 

Clinging to Your Relationship with the Lord

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

© God’s Breath Publications

 

“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in ALL KINDS of trials.”

1 Peter 1:6

 

In the verse above Peter gives us a perspective of the numerous varieties of hardships that we will encounter in life. They will be of every type of trial imaginable as well as all sorts of struggles that we would never even think of in our lifetime. He also gives us two very important encouragements. First, that we can rejoice in them because we belong to the God of the universe who is ultimately the one both in control and the one that gives us the strength to endure such struggles and secondly that they will only last for a little while.

 

Rich Mullins is one of my favorite Christian musicians. He wrote a song called “Bound to Come Some Trouble” and it parallels Peter’s warning and encouragement. It goes like this:

 

There’s bound to come some trouble to your life

But that ain’t nothing to be afraid of

There’s bound to come some trouble to your life

But that ain’t no reason to fear

I know there’s bound to come some trouble to your life

But reach out to Jesus, hold on tight

He’s been there before and He knows what it’s like

You’ll find He’s there

 

The scripture above and Rich Mullins song are so true. It’s not a matter of “if” some storm will come into your life. It’s just a matter of “when.” A perfect verse that communicates this is 1 Peter 4:12. It states, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.

 

Often when trials, hardships, adversity and struggles come upon us like a tornado or thunderstorm we act surprised, as if how strange it would seem that bad times might come upon us. Peter here tells us that it is “NORMAL” for struggles to come upon us like a ravenous animal. He challenges us not to act surprised at painful experiences but rather to expect them to show up on our doorstep.

 

So if we listen to Peter and Rich Mullins and what God is communicating through them, then we should be prepared for the storms that descend upon us.

 

When a violent storm comes in your life the best thing you can do is cling to your relationship with the Lord. Run to Him and let His protective power and loving embrace give you the security you need. While this is easily said, how do you cling to a God who is Spirit and invisible? Hopefully we will investigate this as we study scripture passages and reflect upon how others have sought and found comfort in the Lord during difficult times.

 

During a violent storm at sea, sailors cling to stable and secured objects to keep from being swept overboard. We should do the same thing. What is it that we should cling to? The most important thing to cling to is your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Christ knows exactly what it is like to face painful trials. He is our Savior and has experienced torture in numerous ways. He has cried, felt pain, grieved and dealt with all sorts of struggles and situations of adversity. He can relate to us no matter what we are going through.

 

You should also cling to your Heavenly Father for He knows you inside and out for He made every aspect of you physically, emotionally and spiritually. (Matthew 10:29-31) He is in control and oversees the trials that come your way. God stands by our side and gives us strength to deal with the hardships of life. (2 Timothy 4:17)

 

We should also cling to the Holy Spirit that lives within us as Christians. He is our comforter and encourager. The word “comforter” used in John 14:16 that speaks of the Holy Spirit means, “to call to one’s side” or “encourager.” In this passage, Jesus uses the word “another” when He speaks of the Comforter. The word “another” here means “another of the same kind.” This means that the Holy Spirit is just like Jesus and the Father and can encourage and comfort us just as they can and do.

 

As we cling to our relationship to our God. The Holy Spirit teaches us the truths of scripture that can encourage and comfort us. He continually prays for us. (Romans 8:26) He gives us the power to deal with what we are facing. (Philippians 2:13) He can take away the fear that creeps into our heart, mind and soul as we deal with the trial and hurt. (2 Timothy 1:7)

Romans 12:9-10 tells us to cling to that which is good and God is perfect goodness. The best thing to cling to that is good in a tough situation is our triune God; Father, Son and Spirit.

 

We need to avoid clinging to the wrong things during trials. Many people will seek drugs and alcohol, inappropriate relationships, wild behavior and obsessive habits to distract them from facing their struggles head on or to avoid dealing with them appropriately. They will seek shelter and safety in those things that can be most damaging to them or will only dig them into a deeper hole.

 

In 1 Kings 19 after a victorious battle with the prophets of Baal, Elijah sought shelter under a Broom Tree rather than to take shelter in the Lord. Elijah was tired and exhausted from his confrontation and rather than clinging to His Lord and seeking shelter in his relationship with God he slithered off in depression to whimper beneath this poor example of a tree. God ministered to him and Elijah recovered despite his failure to trust God.

 

There are numerous verses that speak of God being a safe harbor, a bastion of rest, a fortress of recovery, a shield of strength in a time of trial.

 

Psalms 31:20

“In the shelter of your presence you hide them from the intrigues of men; in your dwelling you keep them safe from accusing tongues.”

 

Psalms 61:2-4

“From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.”

 

Psalms 91:1-2

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

 

Isaiah 25:4-5

“You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall and like the heat of the desert.”

 

Psalms 27:5

“For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.”

 

Psalms 28:8

“The Lord is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.”

 

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles,”

 

As we cling to the Lord amidst the struggles of life we can get angry not only with people and situations but also Him as well. While God can take anything we can dish out, eventually we need to work through this anger and accept the fact that He allowed what is happening to occur for a reason. As we consider this, we need to look around and try to understand reasons for what God is allowing to take place. Look back at what He has done in the past. Look ahead as well and see what might be accomplished, for the good, from the current situation. Never mistake the process of the trial for the result. God is allowing a process to take place so that He can accomplish a result in your life. You can’t escape from the process so look forward to the result that is to come or that you can see taking place. It has been said, “Fight the will of God and it will break you. Accept the will of God and it will make you.” In a sense Christians are immortal in the will of God. Out of the will of God there is danger.

 

Trials and struggles are like rocks in the path of life and they challenge and irritate us but they are necessary for our growth. Warren Wiersbe has written an excellent devotional book called “The Bumps Are What You Climb On.” The title says a lot. The bumps in life are what you climb on in life to get to a new level of maturity in your faith. James 1:4 tells us this when it says, “The testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Sometimes we feel that when times are good God is with us and when times are bad He has left us. The reality is that He is always with us and He is closest in the tough times if we just reach out and cling to Him.

 

There’s a very good poem by Robert Browning Hamilton that has something to say as we walk the path of sorrow, pain, trial and struggle. It goes like this:

 

I walked a mile with Pleasure;

She chatted all the way;

But left me none the wiser

For all she had to say.

I walked a mile with Sorrow,

And ne’er a word said she;

But, oh! The things I learned from her,

When sorrow walked with me.

 

As you deal with your hardships and struggles, cling tightly to the Lord. Let Him comfort you and give you His strength. Everything will work out for His glory and your good. He’s just a prayer away. Look to the Word.

 

Romans 8:28

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,who have been called according to his purpose.”