Chapter 1
ARE YOU IN A STORM?
Waiting on God means willingness to do only what God instructs, in His timing, through His power, regardless of circumstances.
Once we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour we become children of God, entitled to all the blessings promised in the Word of God. We trust God for everything, protection, providence, deliverance and guidance. Then comes a time when we are happily basking in the warmth of God’s peace and suddenly we are faced with a raging storm. Typically we go through the normal principles of requesting, praying, fasting, giving, tithing, attending church etc. and do what we think we have to do in the eyes of God, yet we still find ourselves in the storm with the same trials, problems and persecutions. We may struggle financially, physically, spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, socially, academically or occupationally. We may experience failure and disillusion and start to question why God allows these storms in our lives. God seems far and quiet. We stagger and fall in our situation. The burden becomes heavier and more unbearable. Prayer after prayer, there seems to be no answer. It seems to drag longer or even occurring more often. No matter how hard we try we don’t find a breakthrough, at least when we think we really need it. So what do we do? Give up and find other channels? Call on to the nearest and most convenient avenue even if it does not glorify God and it is out of His will? The first question we begin to ask is “why Lord?” Giving up and burying our heads in sand seems like the only solution but it isn’t.
It is not easy and even impossible to make a constructive decision when you are in turmoil. You may be facing circumstances like losing your job, you can’t find one or you are not allowed to work where you are right now. Maybe you do have a job but are facing tribulations there, you have searched high and low for a life partner in vain, your marriage is on the rocks, your children are rebellious, you loose a loved one, a close friend deserts you, you are in financial hardships, or you are emotionally drained and in low spirits. Life’s cycle is like that, you are either in or coming out of one of these storms, and inevitably the process repeats itself.
Storms are an inextricable part and fact of life. We have to grasp right from the beginning that the problem is not the storm, the problem is finding out what God intends to reveal to us by going through the storm. They all come for a purpose. Even if God does not tell us all the intricate details about them, we should be comforted by the awareness that all storms we encounter in life are for a good and valid reason. God does not allow them for fun as He is a God of purpose. We just have to be willing to surrender all to Him. He will see us through the storm and undoubtedly at the end of it we are always blessed and transformed. Bearing in mind that at the end of every season there is a positive transformation should, in itself give us the impetus to persevere. We should not become preoccupied by the storm but allow God to reveal what His plan is for that storm in our life.
