When the Storm Hits
by Chuck Smith
Copyright 2013 The Word for Today
http://www.twft.com
What do we do when the storm hits; how are we to react when the troubles come?
This book reminded me of several perspectives regarding our trials that I had forgotten. God has a purpose for our trials that Christless people cannot share in. Our trials will not overwhelm us when we see them through God’s eyes. Here are just a few thoughts that were prompted by the pages of this worthwhile book by the late Chuck Smith, who pastored the Calvary Chapel church in Costa Mesa, CA.
1.
Why is there so much pain in our trials? Chuck wrote that if it were put to a vote, then he would be more popular than God, because if he were god, he would always bless people, heal us of all sicknesses, always make sure we were well cared for, and protect us from all evil.
Having said that, he talked about a recently divorced multimillionaire who despaired of finding someone he was sure would love him for himself instead of what he could provide for them. In John 6, the people followed Jesus because they wanted more food, but not the Bread of Life Himself. If we stand up for the Lord only when things are going well, are we not saying we want the blessings more than the Blesser? If He lets us down in hard times, will we desert Him?
Is Jesus merely a good-luck charm to get us to heaven, or the one who charms us by His sterling character and life? Are we the bride who is marrying for money and comfort, or a servant-bride who is laying down her life in love for Him? Trials will reveal this in us.
2.
We need to be reminded of our rich godly heritage. Jesus said to rejoice when we are persecuted because the prophets in the past were also persecuted for their faith. This was one of the hardest things for me to grasp. How can I rejoice in persecution? Who wants to be rejected, hounded and ostracized? Yet there are men and women who wear the mantle of those who have sacrificed themselves for a noble cause. I imagine that the Marines take a class where they gain an understanding of their heritage and the boots they are expected to fill, the cause for which they are to lay down their lives. They need to know what “Marine” means and desire to live up to it.
Do we know what it means to live up to the name Christian? Do we see the long line of people who were persecuted for their faith, and yet remained firm? During times of trouble, we find out if we are stepping into the shoes of the heroes of the faith or bailing out. We see whether our identity as servants of God is a strong one, whether or not we will be like the prophets who rose up to challenge the people of Israel to follow after God with all their hearts.
What’s your identity? One who embraces the heritage of heroes who stood firm in faith, or who sides with the easy-believism of armchair Christianity? Our trials reveal this as well.
3.
Many of our storms are spiritual in nature. If we don’t recognize the attack of the enemy, but fight against people and things we can see, we can ride an emotional roller-coaster of anger, irritation, desperation, despondency, and so on. We will deal with our troubles a great self-effort. But too often, the enemy is spiritual, hitting us hard to turn us from God. It’s when we acknowledge that “that person” is not the problem but the foe is spiritual that we start to gain the victory. We turn to prayer, not arguments; fighting the good fight of faith, not fighting our neighbor. We put on our armor in earnest and strike at the root.
The enemy uses our trials to attack our minds, to get us to question God and our faith. They attack our emotions too, so when we feel discouraged or doubtful – we are under attack! It’s time to recognize the wiles of the Devil and stand firm in our spiritual armor. If we don’t recognize the enemy, it puts us in a great disadvantage, because we’ll be directing our attention in the wrong direction and expending effort at the wrong object. We are then dragged down deeper and our spiritual lives begin to slide down as well. Jesus triumphed over the spiritual realm and we are to stand in that victory by recognizing the work of the enemy and rejecting it for the promises of God.
The twelve chapters in this book were written by a man who has himself been familiar with trials from his earliest days in ministry. He has stayed with the Lord through poverty, cancer, and death threats against himself. His faith had matured To where he was simply trusting the Lord during hard times and urging others to do the same. This book is a good way to learn from someone who is further along in the faith than you are, and has endured his trials with faith and joy. He shares his life lessons as only a caring pastor can.
