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Refreshment in Refuge

    by Gina Burgess

Pressing through the storm
Date Posted: May 17, 2020

Thunder crashing, rain pounding, water rising... those are things people pay attention to. If we don't something might happen, something beyond our control, but nevertheless, something bad might happen. Why is that? Why do we fear the things beyond our control?

We have a mighty Creator who stirs up the sea and makes its waves roar (Isaiah 51:15) He has covered us with His hand. He is our LORD and He is mightier than any problem, so why do we tremble and let Satan win the battle of our mind? Our greatest lesson is learned during the storm so that our greatest purpose can be fufilled on the other side of the storm. Satan knows that if he eats up our time -- with worry, fretting, doubt, anxiety, fear -- that we can't do the work God established for us before the foundation of the world was laid.

The trials and travails that Job experienced were not normal to mankind. I know many parents who never lost a child before they died, much less all of them in a freak storm. We can pray that everything will turn out well. And it did turn out well for Job... only, he received a lot more grief before the lesson was done. But wait...Job didn't need a lesson, did he?

Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, his name was Job. And this man was perfect and upright, and fearing God, and turning away from evil.

In fact, later on it says that Job did not sin in what was about to happen. So here we have a perfect and upright man who was about to exprerience some very bad things. Satan held the spoon stirring up trouble and God allowed it. This is why bad things happen to good people when the good people have done nothing to warrent the bad things. There are some things that are common to man, there are some bad things brought on by poor choices and sometimes bad things happen because God knows we can handle it gracefully.

Oh LORD, please pick on someone else! Right? The Sunday School lesson says today that we cannot understand what we are supposed to do if we do not understand what God is telling us. If we do not stop and listen, we won't hear. If we do not resist the fear, worry, anxiety, then we cannot hear for all the noise going on in our hearts.

Fear is that something that can sour the purest of heart. Knowing that God's grace is given according to our need and God knows that we are a very needy people, with very short memories, helps us to weather storms, but... Fear clouds our thinking and when we start to focus on ourselves rather than on just how big God is compared to our troubles then Satan wins that battle. He loses the war, but he has definitely stolen something precious--- our peace. The sad thing is, we allow it.

We should have the mindset of So? Rather than Woe is me! God is mightier than any problem. Something bad happens? So what! My God can handle that. And he has promised to take those burdens off us. Jesus said come to Me who are heavy laden and I will give you rest. 2 Corinthians 1:20 For as many promises as are of God, in Him (Jesus) they are yes, and in Him are Amen, for glory to God through us.

There is our Hope through the storms of life. Anytime God says No, there is a greater Yes in store. He may just be saying not right now, you've got to get this lesson first. Or, perhaps it is specifically designed for heart tenderization. There's a whole sermon in that sentence. Or perhaps it is the storm that brings the freedom you may be searching for. Paul and Silas endured an earthquake which broke their chains. They chose to stay and for that reason a family was saved.

He is GOD. He is intensely interested and involved in our well being, just as we parents are in our own children's well being. All things do turn out for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose. Amen.

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Biography Information:

Gina Burgess has taught Sunday School and Discipleship Training for almost three decades. (Don't tell her that makes her old.) She earned her Master's in Communication in 2013.

She is the author of several books including: When Christians Hurt Christians, The Crowns of the Believers and others available in online bookstores. She authors several columns, using her God-given talent to shine a light in a dark world. You can browse her blog at Refreshment In Refuge.

If you'd like to take a look at some Christian fiction and Christian non-fiction book reviews check out Gina's book reviews at Upon

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