These past few weeks I have read a lot of scripture, heard a few messages, and had a few conversations, but all of them have had the same underlying theme-learning to Trust God during the storm. A few weeks ago my pastor did a message about the faith of Noah. Noah had heard from God to build an ark. Rain would come and God found favor on Noah and wanted to save him so he told him to build an ark. The people had not seen rain in years, they didn't live near water, so naturally every one thought Noah was crazy. But Noah stood true to what God had told him. Noah was confident that God would bring the rain and he and his family would be safe. Noah trusted God when all else seemed to be against him.
Another thing about this story that I learned from the message was the ark. My pastor had said something that stuck out to me. I couldn't get it out of my head. All day I thought about this sentence and had a "revelation". My pastor said, the ark was a big flotation device. It didn't have a motor, they weren't waterskiing on the back, the ark wasn't designed to take them to another place. The ark was designed to keep them afloat. They would either die in the ark or they would be protected and be safe. I have never really thought about that before. The ark was just a flotation device. Noah had to trust God would bring the rain, but he also had to trust God while on the ark. He had to learn to cling to God during the storm and trust that God would continue to protect and provide for them.
How many times in life do we see or feel ourselves in a "storm" and beg and plead with God to remove us from the storm? How many times do I feel like the waves are overtaking me and I cry out to my Father to not let me overtaken? But what I learned from this story of Noah this past month is that God doesn't always remove us from the storm. God will not always make the waters calm, God will not always calm the wind, BUT and this is a crucial BUT, GOD WILL NOT LEAVE US! HE WILL NEVER FORSAKE US! God could have just let Noah and his family die with all the rest, but He didn't. Noah had favor in the eyes of God and so God instructed him to build an ark, to build a flotation device to help wait out the storm.
This revelation I had shed a lot of light on the past few years of my life. I've learned that God has always been with me even when I doubted He even existed. I've learned that God has always been the one thing in life that has kept me afloat. God has been my life jacket when I didn't realize I was even wearing one. God has even kept me in the middle of "storms" in my life to learn to trust Him! I had to stay amidst these storms so that I would know that I can trust God, so that I would know that He is always on my side! I have learned some of the greatest lesson in life while riding out the storms with just a life jacket. But my friends, Jesus is the best life jacket one can have!
Since this revelation, I have walked around with a new sense of confidence of who I am, who I belong to, what I'm living for, and who is fighting for me! I walk with the peace that can only come from the One who is not of this world! Yes I still get knocked down by the waves, yes some people may think I'm crazy for wanting to move half way across the world, and yes, I am confident that I am walking with God, following His voice, and ready to fight the good fight. I am ready to be still when I need to be, and I'm ready for the next journey in life to unfold!
John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid"
Psalm 33:20-22 "We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, LORD, even as we put our hope in you."
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