Storms

Let me start by saying how sorry I am for not putting up this post earlier. Being the news junkie that I am, this election fever has taken more of my time than I'd like to admit. One thing is certain...the word of God is never late.
So in my initial post, I shared the fact that when God wants to do a work in you or with you, He separates you from the crowd. It's also fair to say that when the devil wants to deal with you, he seeks you out when you are alone (remember when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness). The passage I used in sharing my thoughts with you was taken from Mark 4:35-38 and like I mentioned, what sparked this was how blessed I was listening to a message by Pastor T of Jesus House Baltimore.

I am often lost when I hear Christians and people praying against the storm. Lost because I truly believe what builds your character isn't the battles you've avoided but rather the scars from battles you've lost or won. You see, regardless of what you do, how nice you are to people, how good a Samaritan you are, the fact that you pay your tithe without cease, storms will surely come your way... it's a question of time. I like the second part of Isaiah 59:9 (NKJV) which says "When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him". That passage clearly conveys the fact that it is only a matter of time before each one of us faces our own storm. So I say rejoice when your enemies gather against you, rejoice when things seem to get out of hand...rejoice because it only goes to show God is up to something. Be excited when you hear your enemies have gathered against you...realize the battle isn't yours...rather than rant and rave, trying to defend your position, rejoice because by their gathering, they've made their destruction easier...for they will not come near you; only with your eyes will you see the reward of the wicked.

I have gone about 8 months without a job since I graduated from Business school. Yes, I have been really particular in terms of what I am looking for but even at that I must confess, I've walked into some interviews, walked out lost as to why I didn't get the job. I have walked into others, sure that I'd be getting a call back only to be given one excuse or another. I have had recruiters turn what was believed to be my strengths into my weakness...walked into an interview where it is obvious they were expecting someone else...had about 5 rounds of interview with one company only to receive a generic email ending the process with no reason attached but in all these I have remained grateful and sure that an end is near. I've witnessed and heard people make all kinds of assumptions as to why I find myself in this position (or in their words predicament)... Some have added salt to make the story sweet, while others have added ginger to make it bitter but in all I remain assured of what God has in store for me. As the days go by, I am learning more and more what it is that God is trying to teach me... My pride has been bruised in so many ways, my patience tested so many times but in all I can testify to the fact that God is shaping me. I remember a recruiter who called and told me I had a certain amount of time to accept an offer or else I was as good as unemployable and I remember the word of God (which is the standard He has lifted on my behalf) that says "The race is not to the swift, nor battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; but time and chance happens to them all (Ecclesiastes 9:11). My life isn't controlled by the timing of men but by that of God.
As a human being, it would have been so easy for me to run around crying and screaming "Why is this happening to me?" but Ecclesiastes 7:14 says "In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, so that man can find out nothing that will come after him"...Meaning, God has permitted life to consist of both good and evil so that man cannot independently determine what the future holds for him.

So I don't know what it is you are going through and how many people have given up on you as a result of your situation but I know that as long as our redeemer lives, your story will not end in sadness...for the bible says the end of a thing is better than its beginning.

So you ask Miguel what do I do when in the middle of a storm?
1. Go to Jesus
He is in-charge of every storm (Psalm 118: 5-14). Remember when Jesus was asleep in the boat with the disciples and the storm was raging. All he had to say was "Be still" and the storm stopped. You see, every servant knows his master...the devil bows at the mention of the name Jesus. Psalm 24 tells us that "the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof and all that dwell in it..He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters". Regardless of the level you think you've attained in life, always remember that for every level there is another devil.
2. Don't panic
Don't be like the disciples, who despite having the uncreated creator (Jesus) with them, panicked at the sight of a mere storm. Remember the stories of Job (lost his property, children and health), David (lost a son, was running away from Saul), Joseph (falsely accused and imprisoned), Daniel (the lion's den) and a host of others, despite the trials and tribulations they faced understood the power of God and the need to worship Him. Let's take Job for instance whom after losing his property and children, fell to the ground and worshiped God saying "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord." Understand that when you know and trust in the God that created you, no storm should cause you to panic...When you have that faith, understanding and trust in God, though everything around you may crumble, you will realize that everything works together for your good. Read Isaiah 55 you will see that His thoughts differ from ours but one thing is for sure it is to bring us to an expected end.
3. Fix your eyes on the prize
The storm comes to shake you. You have to realize that the sender of the storm knows that if you are able to make it through that storm, there is a promotion awaiting you. If because of a storm you remove your eyes from the prize, you've only succeeded in regressing. Your village people have nothing to do with it nor the funny tasting bottle of fanta you drank at Bimpe's place. If your foundation is strong, the winds cannot blow away your building but if every time a storm comes, you waiver, then be sure that the storm that defeats you today will surely return. So regardless of how the storm may come, like Job, fix your eyes on the prize... "Despite the storm, yet will I trust in Him".
4.The storm won't last forever
Every thing in life has an end! So also the storms we face. Now we determine how long our storm lasts for. If the initial time we face a storm we are able to stand up against it, I can guarantee you though another storm may come, it won't be the one you've defeated. The thing about the storm is, regardless of how long it rages on, it has an end...regardless of how much destruction it's caused, there is an end. Look at New Orleans for instance...despite the length and magnitude of the storm, it came to an end and now we can join hands in helping re-build the city. Job faced three storms; his property, children and health but at the end you see after he withstood it all, God blessed him a thousand-fold. I tell you if you think your storm is overwhelming, read the book of Job. Sorrow my friends may last for a night but joy comes in the morning.
5. Rebuke the storm
Yes! while in the storm, open your mouth and rebuke the storm NOT God. Most people I find when they experience a storm immediately want to call God in for questioning. "Ah Ah what is this God? I am a tithe paying Christian..why is this happening to me?"... rather than that why not speak God's word and promises back to Him and come against the storm...When you face the storm, I find Psalm 18 to be a good passage to pray with. Rebuke the situation but while in it seek to learn the lesson that the storm is trying to teach you. If you built your house with wood and the storm swept it away, I can guarantee you that if you are sensible enough or have learnt something from that storm, when you are re-building, no one would have to advise you on the advantages of building with cement.

I'll conclude this post with some excerpts from Job 38. In Job 38 after Job has done all the talking, in the previous passages, God reveals His Omnipotence to him by saying

“Who is this who darkens counsel
By words without knowledge?
Now prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me.
Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Or who shut in the sea with doors,
When it burst forth and issued from the womb;
When I made the clouds its garment,
And thick darkness its swaddling band;
When I fixed My limit for it,
And set bars and doors;
When I said,
‘This far you may come, but no farther,
And here your proud waves must stop!’
“Have you commanded the morning since your days began,
And caused the dawn to know its place,
That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
And the wicked be shaken out of it?

My brethren the storm only lasts for a time, God lasts forever...so cast your cares and burdens unto Him. All the best as you battle your storm.