The Blessing of the Storm

 

When we think of blessings, we like to think of positive things like our family, friends, something that happened to us that was comforting. We like to think blessings are things like prosperity, but the Bible has a different definition. Our Lord Jesus says, "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me." (Matthew 5:11) Wait we are blessed when persecuted and mistreated?! Yes indeed, the Apostle Peter even says, "But even if you should suffer because of righteousness, you are blessed. And you should not be afraid of their threats, neither should you be troubled." (1 Peter 3:14). What the?! Yes the storm can be a blessing, and yet that is not how we like to think of it. Remember when the storm hit the apostles in boat and Jesus walked on the water, it looked bad, and yet it was a blessing for they saw The Lord demonstrate his dominion over the weather by stilling the storm, and that He is God by walking on water, something no ordinary human can do. To see both these manifestations, the apostles had to be in the storm. I think how often is that true for us, that the blessing is the storm in our lives, for in it we get to see The Holy Trinity demonstrate his power or maybe the storm itself is the blessing, that we need it more than the comfort we crave. 

The world bless like charity has been so watered down. We have made bless synonymous with good coming my way and enjoyable things, when bless as seen in Scripture can be a state of enduring great suffering and sorrows and stings from others. What revolutionary way of looking at blessing, rather than expect to get a moment of joy and excitement, the moment of torment can be the blessing. For tihnk of Jesus our Savior, it was a blessing he hung on the cross for all our sins, and yet that was not a pleasent experience, it was excruciating! And yet it brought us peace for eternity, that we through faith in Him and His finished work at the cross and tomb has made us right with God. 

Christ urges us to look at things in a way that defies the world. The world would say loss, pain, mistreatment, and suffering is not blessings, and yet The Lord and his apostles say those are blessings, because they build fruit, "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." (Romans 5:3-5). The blessing of the storm is an opportunity to see God in a way you would never see if all was happy and peaceful, just as the apostles saw The Lord walk on water and make calm the storm, you have to be in the storm to see God in this way, and in same turn it will build in you the fruit the apostle Paul mentions. 

We have been to comfortable with only one side of blessing, that we ignore those other kind of blessing that is a trial, a storm, and yet in it we will be counted blessed. I have thought about how we casually say "God bless you!," usually its intended as that God will visit positive things upon the person, sunny days and rainbows, but in actually you are inviting the other kind of blessing to come on them too, for when Jesus says, "Bless those who curse you," (Luke 6:28), that blessing can be a storm that will make them come to realization that they need God, and that they need to change. Just like "turn the other cheek," did not mean let someone keep beating you, in Hebraic culture at the time, the way you smacked someone with the back of your hand, if you turn the other cheek they can not smite (hit) you again, so it means not to receive the insult, but this is lost on us because we do not live in that Jewish Culture where people smack one another in that way as an insult. 

How would we as Christians be if we saw the storm as the blessing? That God is up to something in it, and refuse to label it as the world does? What if we as the Casting Crowns song sing, "I am going to praise you in this storm," doing our own kind of walking out on to the waves with The Word of God in our lives, and dance with Him in it! I am not saying deny sorrow, mourning, pain, disappointment, and hide that you going through a hard season or moment, but in that storm do not be defeated. You can call yourself blessed, and look for The Lord in it. Remember that Jesus said, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation (misery, misfortune, adversity, grief, heartache); but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." (John 16:33). Amen.