We have entered the season of storms. For some people around the world it is the rainy season, where lots of rain falls every day and it makes it a challenge to travel from here to there. For others the tornadoes, thunderstorms and flooding are hitting their area. This is just life in the weather, this is not to speak of the storms in relationships that arise expectantly, or the lingering storms that have been there in those relationships. Then there are the financial storms that seem to pop up as that bill comes with a balance you were not prepared for, or that vehicle breaks down, or that job is lost or promotion denied. There are many situations and circumstances in people’s lives, that are like storms that bring change and challenge we did not see coming.
Jesus said in John 16:33, “In this world, you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world.” Jesus knew that we would have trials, storms, trouble in this world in which we live. We would think, we were used to challenges, but we are not, we know we were made for abundance not lack, for health not sickness, for life not death. This is the challenge, eternity is set in our hearts, we know things should be better, but for many it seems to never change or get worst. Prophetic words give us encouragement, situations change and we experience relief for a moment, but nothing seems to remain. The question is this, did Jesus experience any less challenges than we do? The answer is no, the Bible says, “No temptation has seized you beyond what people normally experience, and God can be trusted not to allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear. On the contrary, along with the temptation he will also provide the way out, so that you will be able to endure” (1 Corinthians 10:13). What we experience is normal, but as believers we have an advantage in our adversity.
As believers we have what I call the God advantage, though our situations may be similar to those in the world, because we live in the world, the Bible says we are not of the world. However, for us to respond differently to challenges than the world, we must remain in faith, no matter what situation we go through. In Luke 9, Jesus sent the 12 apostles out on their first ministry trip, when they returned they reported to Jesus all that happened, their faith was operating on that trip, but two verses later while Jesus was preaching to a crowd of 4,000 people it came time for people to need to eat, so the disciples say to Jesus, send them home, but Jesus, who remains in faith in every situation, says, you feed them. The disciples had no frame of reference for faith in what seemed natural like eating dinner, but Jesus did.
As believers, we are called to remain in faith, whether we are on some ministry trip or doing something we believe requires “faith” or whether we are going to work, helping a friend or raising kids. Circumstances should not cause us to come out of faith. When we are struggling in our marriage, we are called to remain in faith; when our finances act funny, we are to remain in faith; no matter what the situation, we are called to remain in faith. Jesus fed the 5,000 in Matthew 14, then immediately He got in a boat with his disciples and a huge storm arose and Jesus was sleeping in the boat, so the disciples woke Him up in a panic, Jesus upon awakening, said to His disciples, where is your faith? I believe when we get worked up because circumstances in our life change, Jesus says, where is your faith? We are called to remain in faith all the time. Faith is not something we compartmentalize in our life, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). Remain in faith and watch God do miracles in your life. No matter how small the situation, remain in faith and you will not be under the situation, but continually above it. You have the God advantage, you are a person of faith, now remain in it!
Lisa Great 