Unfavorable Circumstances

Have you ever been caught off guard and stuck in the middle of a storm?? Say you were driving home from work, minding your own business, looking forward to getting home and enjoying the blessings God has given you. Maybe it’s a good dinner, time with the family, or perhaps just relaxing for the evening in peace. Then suddenly, this full-blown storm comes crashing down on top of you from out of nowhere! This storm consists of a torrential downpour of heavy rain and hail the size of golf balls that make it almost impossible to see through your windshield. Blustering gusts of wind that feel like they will blow your car right off the road into oncoming traffic, booming and intimidating thunder, and terrifying lightning that brings thoughts of worry as you are trying to safely get to your next destination. You may ask yourself questions like “Am I gonna make it through this, okay?”, "Is this storm life threatening?”, or “Will there be damage to my car?", "Could this kill me if I drive straight through this?”. Storms are intense! Especially this kind of storm that can obscure your vision and will cause you to tense up and feel overwhelmed at the thought of going through it.

I know myself, and anytime I go through a storm, whether it be physical or spiritual, it always brings out the worst in me. These pressurized situations, or as Holy Spirit revealed to me as unfavorable circumstances, always bring to the surface what is on the inside of you that still needs some work or refining. God was showing me a few weeks ago this picture of myself, standing in the middle of one of these unbearable storms and I couldn’t even see my own hand in front of my face, much less a way out. He brought to mind that when you’re in the midst of a storm like this, it is the ideal scenario for Him to test you and see where your heart lies. Are we going to buckle under the pressure and succumb to those feelings of uncertainty, frustration, and anxiety? Or are we going to pass the test and lean into Him for the answers? Storms are iffy. They can last a long time or blow through in a few minutes. I personally like the quick ones that are done and over with before you know it. But sometimes storms can feel drug out and seem like they will never end. God doesn’t waste anything that He allows us to go through. He uses all situations, whether self-inflicted or the enemy, to mature us and to build something in us that we might be lacking in our character. Maybe we need more perseverance or patience in an area? Or perhaps He allows you to go through a health scare or something devastating to your heart to grow compassion and empathy in you so you can help someone else go through it. What if the situations we call unfavorable circumstances is God showing us favor by not leaving us the same? He is actually being a good father by showing us how to walk through these storms successfully with a right mindset and a heart of gratitude and humility. Sometimes, it is to test our loyalty and see who we will trust. Will we put our trust in God or in doctors? Will we let Him take care of us and that situation in His timing, or will we try to figure it out ourselves and make a greater mess of things?

For obvious reasons, we can look at both stories of Jesus and how He handled storms. The first thing we can take from these stories is that none of these weather conditions and the elements that were involved fazed Him one bit! He came face to face with these storms and didn’t allow fear or uncertainty to creep in. He was so at peace that he was able to take a nap in the middle of what everyone else was panicking in (Mark 4:38). Unlike Peter, who started out okay in a different story but the same scenario (Matt 14:29-31). God gave him the ability to walk on the water in the storm because he didn’t take his eyes off of Jesus. But as soon as he did and allowed those “unfavorable circumstances” to set in, the very next verse says…

"But when he saw [the effects of] the wind, he was frightened, and began to sink, and he cried out “Lord save me!”

Thankfully, Jesus immediately extends His hand to save him and asks him why he doubted Him. He allowed fear to be bigger than His faith in Jesus. Why did Peter doubt God when Jesus was there the whole time with him? We could bash Peter and say to ourselves that if we were in his position, we would never have allowed ourselves to sink in that storm, but we literally do the same thing in our own lives. We get so easily distracted and caught up in the effects of the storm that we take our eyes and dependence off of Jesus and put it in man or in ourselves. This is a death sentence if we want to put it in realistic terms. Jesus is the ONLY hope we have that can save us through these storms. I am reminded of the verse in 2 Chronicles 20. The end of verse 12 says…

“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.”

May we remember that God is for us and not against us, and to trust that His ways are so much higher and more complex than our ways (Romans 8:31, Isaiah 55:8-9). It may look like God has abandoned us or left us out in the middle of these storms to die, and quite frankly, sometimes they do feel unbearable. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the surge of waves and billowing wind like Peter did. Like it or not, we need storms in our lives to build a strength and endurance in us as Christians, so we can withstand the attacks of the enemy and have undeniable and unshakable faith in our relationship with Jesus. We can’t judge God and His goodness based on our circumstances. Things happen, circumstances and people change, but God never changes. He isn’t moved or surprised by our reactions to these things either. These storms are the perfect setup for Him to show us that no matter what, if we keep pressing into Him, He is faithful to show up and show out when we need Him. He is and will always be the hero of our story. We need to realize he allows the storms and unfavorable circumstances you might be facing right now to intentionally draw you closer to Him, not to tear you apart from Him. We need to remember to give Him thanks and praise through the pain and uncertainty and watch what He does!

"But now this is what the LORD, your Creator says, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel, 'Do not fear, for I have redeemed you [from captivity]; I have called you by name; you are Mine! When you pass through the waters. I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you". Isaiah 43:1-2 AMP