Purpose in the Storm

Scripture Reference: Romans 8:28-29

Believers have a choice about how they will respond to life's trials. Either they can cast blame while becoming resentful and bitter, or they can turn to the Lord and ask, "What is Your purpose for me going through this difficult situation?"

Since recognizing God's purpose and plan is the way that faith grows, Christians have the right to ask "why?" Like a child learning new concepts, we see that when x happens, God does y, just as He promised. For instance, in the Old Testament, King David made destructively wrong choices for which God allowed CLEANSING STORMS into his life. The leader of the nation had wandered off the right path, but painful experiences drove him back to the center of the Lord's will. We might consider the divine method cruel, but David would disagree. He wrote, "Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep your word...It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes." (Psalm 119:67-71).

Returning believers to right fellowship is only one of God's purposes for a life storm. Some difficulties are meant to blow away all distractions so we can focus our attention on the Lord and what it is that he's calling us to do. Other trials break our worldly mold so that we can be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Our personal pleasure is not the top priority. God's primary concern is to shape a wise and obedient servant who loves him and desires for him to reach the destiny and assignment God has for him for without obedience and learning how to fellowship and listen to God's instruction in his word and His Holy Spirit we take a road that is less fulfilling than God's plan for us and true joy and happiness can only come when we are walking in the will of God.

SEED WORD: When a storm rages into our life, the Lord is already planning how to turn destruction into good. Seek His objective, and work with Him to acheive it. The promise of Romans 8:28 is that we will reap gain from our losses. Sometimes, it is our pain and losses that we learn from and that God uses to bring about our divine assignment. I have learned two things in the midst of trials. One, that the sooner I start to praise and speak his word into my situation that His Spirit guides me through it more quickly. Secondly, I start to sing thanks for I know through his word that joy comes in the morning and manifestation of His Holy Spirit is on the way and I'm about to be promoted to a higher level of service to my Lord and have a closer, more intimate relationship with the Father. I had to go around the mountain a few times with trials before the Potter could shape this lump of clay into His design. You see, we have to be renewed in his image before we can be of much use in His Kingdom. After a few years in my walk with the Lord I learned the hard way how to go through fires instead of allowing these tests to paralyze me, or turning to my own power to change them, or resorting to the world's way of reacting to them which is to place blame and try to skirt around the trouble. Are you SINGING yet?

If you would like to leave a comment or need prayer contact me at: djbraman@gmail.com