“Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
Revelation 1:7-8 ESV
Battles you face, difficulties that creep up, and all the situations that throw you off your track are often referred to as "storms." The natural reaction for us as followers of Jesus when we come to these storms in our lives is to simply get through them to the better days on the other side. There is even a catchy saying when we go through a tough time, we have "weathered the storm."
While weathering a storm can be a decent game plan and I would say that shows great resolve. It can build character and produce an edge on a person. But we have to do more than simply weather the storm. We have to make sure that we don't miss the opportunity to learn from the troubles that are spinning around us. We can't simply put our heads down and stand our ground. When I was coaching little league football I always told my players that you can't hit what you don't see. If you go through life, always reacting with a head down mentality you will miss out on the Holy Spirit working in and around you. When we keep our heads up in the storm, surely we will get hit with rain and wind. But when we welcome it as an opportunity to experience what it is that God has for us it will enrich and embolden our faith in God.
Rain and storms are essential for any thriving ecosystem. Without the rain, our crops would wither and be blown away by the wind. Plants can't develop a proper root system without substantial watering. Constant sunshine only produces one thing: a barren and dry land. It is harsh, hot, and full of things that are meant to harm us. When God created man, He made us with a failsafe that requires adequate water and, depending on the conditions, we can only survive a few days without water. God's design of man's need for water correlates to our need for a healthy and growing relationship with Christ.
The apostle John was the only man that followed Christ that wasn't martyred. Although his life wasn't spared from the storm. One such storm in John's life came when he was exiled to an island called Patmos. And I am sure that his accusers felt like this would be a great way to torture John. But something happened while he was there on the island. Something I am sure his accusers didn't expect either. John spent time in communion and prayer with God and it was during this time that he recorded the words found in the book of Revelation. I like to think that God used this storm in John's life so that he could get him away from everyone and everything. A time when he would have to totally depend on and commune with God. And it was this time when John was away from everyone and everything, in the midst of the storm, that he worshipped God in order to hear God.
Guy's, don't miss out on the lesson the storm can teach. They aren't always what they appear when we follow the footsteps of the One that went before us.
"“I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet."
Revelation 1:9-10 ESV
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