Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. (Psalm 119:67)
When the sky is blue, the clouds are fleecy, and the sun is brightly shining, we have a tendency to live unreflectively. By nature, we have a tendency to settle into unreflective ruts of routine when things are going well. We bask in the sunshne and don’t give our lives a great deal of thought. But God wants us to live reflectively, and often He will send a seasonal storm to get our attention back on what matters most in life. Read on and be greatly encouraged today . . . especially if you’re in the middle of one of those storms as you’re reading this!
We know that storms come in all sizes. Some are quick and mild; others rage on interminably. From losing a sale to losing a job to losing a loved one, storms are promised to come our way. Some storms are so great, like those that Paul and Timothy endured, that our despair may be palpable. Paul wrote to the Christians at Corinth —
We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. (2 Corinthians 1:8-9)
We are not given any inspired insight into what the hardships Paul and Timothy suffered actually were, but they were so severe that the apostle despaired even of life. But Paul did not stop there; he went on to provide us with the necessary instruction to help us get through any storm we are facing:
But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. (2 Corinthians 1:9)
The storms Paul and Timothy faced were ultimately for God’s glory and their good. It caused them to rely more and more on God, driving them to live reflectively. It never ceases to amaze me just how much more reflectively I live my life when the storm winds begin to blow. Storms have a tendency to set my priorities straight. Storms show us what matters most, and they are designed to lead us back into the shadow of the cross, causing us to reflect on all that God in Christ has done for us.
To be sure, storms are the antidote for living unreflectively. But we don’t need to wait for the storms winds to blow; we can decide in advance that we will set our hope not on what is seen but what is unseen (2 Corinthians 4:18). We can and should reflect on God’s promise that, regardless of the storms we are facing here and now, we will one day live in a city that is to come, “whose designer and builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10), where all storm winds will be stilled.
So . . . what are you going to reflect on today?
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 