“And there arose a great storm” ( Mark 4:37 ).

Some of the storms of life come suddenly: a great sorrow, a bitter disappointment, a crushing defeat. Some come slowly. They appear upon the ragged edges of the horizon no larger than a man’s hand, but, trouble that seems so insignificant spreads until it covers the sky and overwhelms us.

Yet it is in the storm that God equips us for service. When God wants an oak He plants it on the moor where the storms will shake it and the rains will beat down upon it, and it is in the midnight battle with elements that the oak wins its rugged fibre and becomes the king of the forest.

When God wants to make a man He puts him into some storm. The history of manhood is always rough and rugged. No man is made until he has been out into the surge of the storm and found the sublime fulfillment of the prayer: “O God, take me, break me, make me.”

A Frenchman has painted a picture of universal genius. There stand orators, philosophers and martyrs, all who have achieved pre-eminence in any phase of life; the remarkable fact about the picture is this: Every man who is pre-eminent for his ability was first pre-eminent for suffering. In the foreground stands that figure of the man who was denied the promised land, Moses. Beside him is another, feeling his way — blind Homer. Milton is there, blind and heart-broken. Now comes the form of one who towers above them all. What is His characteristic? His Face is marred more than any man’s. The artist might have written under that great picture, “The Storm.”

The beauties of nature come after the storm. The rugged beauty of the mountain is born in a storm, and the heroes of life are the storm-swept and the battle-scarred.

You have been in the storms and swept by the blasts. Have they left you broken, weary, beaten in the valley, or have they lifted you to the sunlit summits of a richer, deeper, more abiding manhood and womanhood? Have they left you with more sympathy with the storm-swept and the battle-scarred? –Selected –From Streams in the Desert

And immediately the spirit driveth him into the wilderness.-Mark 1:12   It seems a strange proof of Divine favor that this would happen. Notice the word “immediately”. Immediately after what? After the opened heaven, the dove-like peace, and the voice of the Father saying,”Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” But, that isn’t an abnormal experience. Often our deepest depression comes just moments after our greatest blessings. One moment we are like the song-bird singing heartily to greet the new day, the next moment we think God has forgotten us.   As strange as it seems, the very suddenness of this change is a proof of God’s constant care for us. The word “immediately” is used for a reason. We wonder why the burden comes so soon after the blessing, so God shows us it is the sequel to the blessing. God shines His blessings on us to prepare us for the tough places, as Christ faced Gethsemane and Calvary. God lifts us up so we may receive strength to go further down. He illuminates us so He might send us into the darkness of night, that we may help the helpless.   We are prepared for the wilderness of difficulty only after we have experienced the blessing that comes from surrendering ourself to the Father’s will. It is only after we behold the favor of God, shown to us on behalf of Christ, that we are ready to tackle the trials and temptations that come our way.   NOTE: This article is a crude adaptation of an article written by George Matheson, in old English, many long years ago. H.D.S.

That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know. (1 Thessalonians 3:3,4)

Here is a statement that is a little hard for any of us to swallow. Paul says that we should not be disturbed by “these afflictions,” that is, pressures and tensions. Then he makes the amazing statement that “we are appointed thereunto.” We know that we are going to go through storms. They will be temporary, but we cannot escape them. We are going to have trouble down here; the Word of God makes that very clear. Paul wants the Thessalonians to stand for the Lord in the midst of afflictions.

There are other passages of Scripture that teach this same truth. The Lord Jesus said, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Tribulation is the trouble that all of us are going to have. There is no way around it. Yet the Lord Himself tells us to be of good cheer even in the midst of trouble.

If you are a believer, you are not going to escape trouble. To accept Christ does not mean to take out an insurance policy against suffering. The fact of the matter is that you will have trouble after you become a child of God, even if you haven’t had any trouble before. He has never promised that we would miss the storm, but we will go through all the storms of life. What He does say very definitely and dogmatically is that He will go with us through the storms and that we will reach the harbor. Any boat that He is in will not go to the bottom of the Sea of Galilee but will reach the other side. You and I are in the process of going to the other side.——-

I remember hearing about a congregation where the pastor asked for some favorite verses of Scripture. One man got up and said his favorite verse was, “And it came to pass.” He sat down, and everyone looked puzzled. The pastor asked him how in the world that could be his favorite passage. He answered, “When I get in trouble, I turn to where it says, ‘It came to pass,’ and I know my troubles came to pass. They didn’t come to stay.” God will bring us through the storms. We will finally be rid of all our troubles. How wonderful that is. (By J. Vernon McGee)

In this self-centered age when so many are confused about what is truly important in life, we need to be reminded why we are here on earth. I can assure you that it isn’t for fleshly gratification.   God gives us the reason for our being in Isaiah 43:7,”—-I have created him for my glory—.” But what does that mean? How do we put that into shoe leather and live it out? Although volumes could be written on this subject, Pastor James MacDonald sums it up wonderfully:   “God made us so that we could reflect His glory back to Him. Glory is to God what wet is to water, as heat is to fire, as light is to bulb. Glory is what emanates from God. Although we can’t see God (1 John 4:12), we can see His glory in creation and in His people when they model His holiness. Glory is the evidence that God is present.   God’s purpose in your life is to bring glory to or display Himself. In fact, He wants to do it even in the most mundane things that you do.’ Whether—you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God’ says 1 Corinthians 10:31. In commanding us to glorify Him, God invites us to leave His fingerprints on everything we touch.”   Now you know why you are here—there is no question about that! The only question that remains is, What will you do?

He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.–Isaiah 40:29   The older we get the better acquainted we get with weariness. Old age ain’t for sissies! Oh, I know there are exceptions–some fortunate folks say they are pain free. That’s great, but it’s not the norm. Neither is weariness limited to the elderly. It can afflict people of all ages. There are times when the strongest of men and the bravest of women grow weary. Sooner or later, by one cause or another, we all reach the limit of our strength. What then?   Determination won’t always get the job done. You can clench your teeth, set your jaw, square your shoulders, scotch your feet with a firm resolve that you will march on, but sometimes that isn’t enough.   Nor can others always come to your rescue. There are times when your dearest friend’s efforts are not enough. They weep with you and work with you, but it’s just not sufficent. They want to help and would help, but it’s more than they can do.   No, sometimes the mountains are too high, the valleys are too low, and the rivers are too wide for human strength to prevail. For times like this there is only One source of strength that will suffice–God! Everyone needs God. He is the only source of satisfaction and strength that can meet our deepest needs. A right relationship with God opens up resources beyond “all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”(Eph. 3:20) Only in Christ do we find strength for the struggle. Trust Him today!