Are you a tea drinker? I was born and reared in the south but I do not like sweet tea. I know what you’re thinking and I promise I’m southern. I have the birth certificate to prove it. Don’t feel bad. Even my mother thinks I should like sweet tea. Every time I would sit at her dinner table, until just a couple of years ago, she would fix me a glass of sweet tea.
A friend of mine used to work in a tea shop and she was bound and determined to get me to drink hot tea at the very least. She introduced me to rooibus teas, which are really herbs. They are very flavorful and don’t have the “tea” taste to them. Between rooibus and chai she hooked me. Now I drink hot tea almost every morning and love it. I still don’t care for sweet iced tea, but at least I’m drinking some form of tea.
Have you ever watched the brewing process? You take a tea bag and drop it into a cup of boiling hot water and the transformation takes place. Where you once had dry tea leaves with nothing more than a fragrance coming from them you now have a bold flavorful drink. It took the hot water to bring the flavor alive so you can enjoy it.
Life is similar. We may carry the fragrance of the Lord in our lives, but it takes sitting in hot water for the full body of our faith to come alive for us and those around us. A Christian walking through a crisis is when our witness truly comes alive. It is where the rubber hits the road so to speak. Anyone can love Jesus when life is good, but those who continue to declare His goodness in the midst of trials and trouble are the real deal.
In Job 1:6-12 we have a glimpse into heaven and witness a conversation that takes place between God and Satan. Here Satan indicates to God he is looking for someone to torment just as indicated in 1 Peter 5:8. If you pay attention to verse 8 you realize God is the one who mentions Job to Satan. He has such pride in Job and knows his heart. He knows Job is the real deal and will pass the testing Satan brings upon him. God knows he will restore all Job loses during this difficult season so He allows Satan to sift Job.
Job was tested. Throughout his suffering Satan tried to convince him God had forgotten him. He used Job’s circumstances and he used his friends to push his message. They told Job he was suffering because of his sin; however, the Lord used his suffering to draw Job to Himself, to build Job’s trust in God for who He is and not what He does. In the end Job was fully restored.
What are you experiencing right now? Is it a season of blessing and rest or a season of testing? No matter what your circumstances, draw near to the Lord and He will draw near to you. He is faithful and true to His children [Psalm 33:4; Revelation 19:11]. He will never leave you nor forsake you no matter what your circumstances demonstrate [Deuteronomy 31:8].
Psalm 33:10-11 declares “The LORD foils the plans of the nations; He thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations.” He has plans to prosper you, not to harm you [Jeremiah 29:11]. His desire for you is abundant life [John 10:10]. When we begin to believe Him and His Word as truth instead of our circumstances, we will weather any storm that comes our way.