Going Through The Storms Of Life

The storms happen once in a while, but sometimes one after another in succession. These real storms are devastating both in the physical and material world and so with spiritual storms. No one wants a storm, but we have no choice, it will come to us one day and in any day. It comes often when we least expect it.

We must remember always that it is written, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble” (Job 14:1 KJV). There is no exception to this Scriptural truth! This is an exception to the adage, “In every rule there is an exception”. If you have not yet experienced any trouble or storm of life, wait till one comes your path. This is what I have learned by experience. “Experience is the best teacher.” The Answer? Christ (God) is the answer. Don’t forsake your faith in God, when spiritual storms will cross your path. Trust in God that behind the clouds the sun is still shining.

The foregoing considerations as background, we have to be prepared always, so that when the storm in our life strikes us, we can endure, come what may, like in the case of Job of Bible times. To recall, Job’s storm caused the loss of his ten children; the loss of his wealth and treasures on earth; caused him indescribable pain and discomfort due to the boils that afflicted him from the crown of his head to the sole of his feet. The situation for Job was terrible and beyond description in words. Yet, the Bible tells us: “This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned (avoided) evil” (Job 1:1).

Why did God allow the sufferings of Job? Simple: To test the faith of Job in God.

The wife of Job was not symphathetic to the deplorable situation of Job. On the contrary, she said to him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity (faith in God)? Curse God and die!”. How pathetic for Job. His own wife instead of encouraging him, unwittingly expressed her wish for Job to die! (Job 2:9 NIV), rather than see him suffer.

The reaction of Job to the storm of his life and his patience toward his wife’s attitude is worth emulating. He said, “you are talking like a foolish woman, shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” (Job 2:10 NIV). The Bible tells us, “Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart.

The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised!”

Imagine the faith of Job in God, that in spite of his misfortune and physical sufferings, he showed patience and still praised the LORD! And the Bible concludes this chapter in the life of Job by saying: “In all this, Job did not sin by charging (or blaming) God with wrongdoing” (Job 1:20-22 NIV). In the end, the Bible tells us, “The LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first; His material wealth doubled. He had also seven sons and three daughters… Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job’s daughters… After this (tragedy). Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. And so he died, old and full of years” (Job 42:12-16 NIV).

Do we see the picture of Job? Despite his misfortune and physical and emotional sufferings without equal in human experience, he still worshipped God, and his faith in God remained steadfast and the same. This merited the inclusion of his unique story in the Bible for inspiration of, and for all generations to emulate.

Thus, the Bible on the Chapter on faith says: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Heb. 11:6 NIV).

God knows what is happening and what is being done to our life from day to day and moment by moment. He had promised, “I’ll never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5 KJV). So, don’t lose faith or hope, no matter what happens to us during the storms of life. Instead, continue to earnestly seek God, for whatever He promised as reward for the faithful to the end shall be fulfilled in our lives. The best is yet to come!