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(By: Norm Rasmussen)
We all go through storms in this life. Sometimes VERY PAINFUL storms. We can latch hold of Proverbs 3:5-6 as our anchor in our storms, or we can go through them alone.
Proverbs 3:5-6 reads: 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart; lean not unto your own understanding; acknowledge Him in all your ways, and He will direct your paths.'
Reality may be: The path of His choosing may take us all the way to heaven before we are delivered from our storm. Some sicknesses and diseases don't always get cured this side of heaven. However ... when was the last time you heard from your doctor that Jesus can heal EVERY sickness and disease when modern medicine is at a loss for solutions? (You're very fortunate to have a doctor like that if you have one!) Jesus loved sticking it to Satan by executing miraculous demonic deliverances and healings. YOU might be the NEXT miracle Jesus desires to execute to show Satan WHO runs the cosmic state of affairs. Be gutsy and BELIEVE HIM for one when all your chips are down! Jesus will commend you HIGHLY for battling against the attacks of Satan against you and the ravages of sin in your body!
I have learned through much frustration and pain that when we attempt to convince the Lord WHICH path He should lead us down, we are guilty of 'leaning on our OWN understanding' more than we may realize. If we lean too heavily on our own understanding (our short sighted human reasoning to end our pain), I've learned that the Lord will take a seat along the pathway and wait for us to come to our senses. After we have dug ourselves a more painful, deeper hole of frustration, and we humble ourselves and confess to Him our sin of selfishness - our sin of stubborn independence and self-sufficiency - He'll stand up and continue leading us down the right path once we determine to trust His judgment as to WHICH path is right for us.
God allows storms in our lives to teach us just how much we REALLY need Him. Without storms, most of us would NEVER truly - fully connect with our Savior. Reality is ... most people who once were Christians and now aren't decided Jesus couldn't be trusted any longer to be followed. Ohhhh ... most won't admit that to others, but it's the real truth of the matter.
So in the middle of YOUR storm, you can be thankful that one of the intended purposes of the storm is to help us realize (or be re-reminded) WHO is God, and who is NOT. WHO has ALL power over ALL things, and who DOESN'T. That may not be comforting in your storm right now I realize, but this life is about God imparting character growth in us that has eternal ramifications, and character growth never comes without pain in this life.
For some, God allows storms in their life to see how serious they are in their trusting Him no matter WHAT, and at what point they are ready to quit. Though there may be times when we are tempted to quit on Him in different degrees in our pain, He promises He will never leave us nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)
The story of Job in the Old Testament was preserved for us to catch a glimpse of the reality that every one of us have "Job Encounters" of our own in our walk with Jesus Christ. They may be mini-Job encounters or they may be maxi-Job encounters. God determines the severity of each of them ... that we must always remember.
In Revelation Chapters 2 - 3, Jesus promises "those who overcome" their storms ... eternal rewards beyond our human comprehension will be granted us. Overcoming is an attitude - a resolute mindset. The sooner we determine that NOTHING life hands us is going to place a wedge between our heavenly Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and us ... no matter how much pain we are experiencing ... God grants us a supernatural peace that will sustain us in our storm/s that can't be obtained any other way.
Dear Reader - are you at peace with God? If not, you can be. Do you know what awaits you when you die? You can have the assurance from God that heaven will be your home, if you would like to be certain. You can even have that assurance RIGHT NOW! Either Jesus Christ died for your sins, or He didn't (He did!). Are you prepared to stand before God on the Judgment Day and tell Him that you didn't need the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross to have your sins forgiven and get in right-standing with God? We plead with you...please don't make such a tragic mistake.
To get to know God, to be at peace with God, to have your sins forgiven, to make certain heaven will be your home for eternity, to make certain that you are in right-standing with God right now ... please click here to help you understand the importance of being reconciled to God. What you do about being reconciled to God will determine where you will spend eternity, precious one. Your decision to be reconciled to God is the most important decision you'll ever make in this life, because in Christ, it is impossible to put a value on the worth of your soul in light of eternity.
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Remember: All that we do in this life comes back to our God-given purpose which is to serve and glorify God. The money and assets we accumulate, the fame and power we've attained or seek to attain - all of the things of this nature will one day pass away, but those lives of others we impact for Jesus Christ will last for eternity, and we will be rewarded for the part we helped play by impacting those lives ... for eternity. (Matthew 6:19-20 is our assurance)
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