Do you like working in your yard? A neighbor of mine spends a great deal of time in his yard. It looks like the cover of a Better Homes and Gardens magazine. He mows the grass at an angle which makes it stand out. He has well groomed trees and his flowers are a rainbow of color against the lush green background.
He was gone for a week of vacation and came home to a jungle. We had substantial rain the whole week and the grass took off. Yesterday he was working hard in his yard when I passed by. He had just finished mowing with the lawn mower on the highest level and he had dropped the wheels and was about to mow it again to get it to the level he prefers. He pours a lot of time and energy into his yard and it pays off. His yard is a true show place.
You’ve heard it said “The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.” Well, Charles Spurgeon said “The greenest grass is found wherever the most rain falls.” Life may feel like one summer storm on top of another right now, but great things will come out of the storms you weather. The Lord allows storms because He knows there will be greater blessings to follow.
In Mark 4:35-41 we read of Jesus and the disciples in a boat traveling “to the other side” as He directed. He went to sleep as they traveled. Jesus, being omnipresent, knew they would encounter the storm ahead of them and yet He sent them there anyway. He took this opportunity to teach the disciples a lesson on faith. Is He sending you into a storm to teach you a lesson on faith? Notice, He didn’t send them alone. He was with them the entire time and when they needed Him and called out to Him, He rescued them.
In Jonah 1 we read of Jonah boarding a ship to run from the call God had put upon him to go to Nineveh and preach to the city about their wickedness. God sent a violent storm that tossed the ship around like a toy boat, scaring the most seasoned of sailors causing them to fear for their lives. Jonah knew he was the cause of God’s wrath and told the sailors to throw him overboard and the storm would cease. When the sailors did what he directed, a whale came and swallowed Jonah keeping him safe and secure until his heart would turn to the Lord. God used this storm to teach Jonah obedience. Has the Lord allowed a storm to come into your life to teach you obedience?
He was gone for a week of vacation and came home to a jungle. We had substantial rain the whole week and the grass took off. Yesterday he was working hard in his yard when I passed by. He had just finished mowing with the lawn mower on the highest level and he had dropped the wheels and was about to mow it again to get it to the level he prefers. He pours a lot of time and energy into his yard and it pays off. His yard is a true show place.
You’ve heard it said “The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.” Well, Charles Spurgeon said “The greenest grass is found wherever the most rain falls.” Life may feel like one summer storm on top of another right now, but great things will come out of the storms you weather. The Lord allows storms because He knows there will be greater blessings to follow.
In Mark 4:35-41 we read of Jesus and the disciples in a boat traveling “to the other side” as He directed. He went to sleep as they traveled. Jesus, being omnipresent, knew they would encounter the storm ahead of them and yet He sent them there anyway. He took this opportunity to teach the disciples a lesson on faith. Is He sending you into a storm to teach you a lesson on faith? Notice, He didn’t send them alone. He was with them the entire time and when they needed Him and called out to Him, He rescued them.
In Jonah 1 we read of Jonah boarding a ship to run from the call God had put upon him to go to Nineveh and preach to the city about their wickedness. God sent a violent storm that tossed the ship around like a toy boat, scaring the most seasoned of sailors causing them to fear for their lives. Jonah knew he was the cause of God’s wrath and told the sailors to throw him overboard and the storm would cease. When the sailors did what he directed, a whale came and swallowed Jonah keeping him safe and secure until his heart would turn to the Lord. God used this storm to teach Jonah obedience. Has the Lord allowed a storm to come into your life to teach you obedience?
Storms will come and go throughout our lifetime. We must learn to press into the Lord when they arrive and ask Him what He wants us to learn from the storm. The Lord wastes nothing, including our time. He will take whatever we are facing and work it together for good for those who love Him [Romans 8:28]. Spend time with the Lord and learn His plans for you before the storms come your way so you will be faithful to do as He asks no matter the circumstances.
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