The Storm After the Blessing!

I am amazed at the storms that tend to occur in my life right after GOD has poured out a tremendous blessing. I know it happens to other believers as well. I was approached at church recently by a man in the congregation. He was telling me how he has grown in his faith, his prayer life and his walk with the Lord. He shared how significantly different his life in Jesus had become. And as we all like to expect, he expected his life would become so much easier; people would treat him better; the workplace environment would become easier for him.

But, it just wasn’t happening that way for him and he was seriously grieved in his spirit over the way his life now seemed to be. I explained to him that as we move closer to GOD, the enemy is going to become ever more aggressive against us. In the midst of the increasing difficulties and chaos within his life, he should realize Satan’s fury. As a believer, the fury of Satan should be an encouraging thing as it shows he is outraged by the changes that have occurred and are continuing to occur.

Let me show an example from Scripture. In Mark 6, we read of Jesus feeding the multitudes to fullness with a very small portion of food. God’s blessings were poured out and the disciples were eye-witnesses to this occurence. Then Jesus sent them out on the lake in a small boat and told them He would meet them on the other side. Soon a storm broke loose and the boat was buffeted and stood the possibility of being lost forever. The disciples, who  just witnessed God’s divine power, even been a part of it all, were now frightened and discouraged by what was happening to them.

Mark 6:47-51 tells us this: “When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. He saw them being battered as they rowed, because the wind was against them. Around three in the morning He came toward them walking on the sea and wanted to pass by them. When they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; for they all saw Him and were terrified. Immediately He spoke with them and said, ‘Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’ Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased.“

Out of the midst of the storm, Jesus came to them. He took the storms that were out to overpower them and He spoke peace to them. Let me tell you, the tremendous blessing of the day before was completely forgotten when the storm of Satan blew in. Satan’s trick is to take the time of GOD’s blessings and try to destroy it with some kind of storm. But, if we will just hold tight to GOD, Jesus will come in and make peace out of that storm, that trial, that testing. Endure and you will find yourself stronger and more ready to fight the next battle when it comes. Battles from Satan are encouragers for saints of GOD because they help us to see that our growing maturity in the faith is frightening Satan and necessitating his increasing arrows being cast your way.

Endure and be strong in the LORD JESUS CHRIST today!