I’ve been in the storm too long.

And you know when storms last and last, we start looking for answers and reasons like Job. Job, whose storms lasted in such a devastating way, looked up to God for answers that were simply not forthcoming; then while he was waiting on God to say something he looked at his friends, and said: “though He slay me, yet I will trust Him.”

Testimony for Today.

I do NOT believe that God sends storms to punish us because Jesus took the punishment for our sins. Or to correct us because the Holy Spirit was sent to lead us into all truth and to correct us through the word. So it is my understanding that God does NOT send the storm, but uses it to prove us and refine us by his spirit, taking us to the level of faith and from glory to glory. God knows what lies ahead, and as the God of all creation allows creation to do its thing—all while doing what Paul told us in Romans 8: working it all together for our good (for the called according God’s purpose who love Him).

I do understand Job’s position, though. The need to ask questions, understand the storm, categorize them based on our own understanding that we shouldn’t even be leaning to, looking for wise counsel to help get us out, realizing as our depression depends that those around us aren’t the help we needed at all… the need to rationalize and get some kind of clarity becomes almost singular. We want the why of the thing as though the knowing would make the pain less bad (It do not).

And yet. When everything in life seems to be falling apart, overwhelming us, seemingly bent on destroying us- the only goal we should have is continuing to trust God.

Jesus told His disciples in John 16, that “in this world there would be trouble, but take heart because I have overcome the world.” And this is my prayer for us all: that we understand that Jesus has already overcome everything in this world that we encounter—we just have to continue to look to God and trust. we have to trust with ALLLLLLL our heart, soul, and might—and lean NOT to our own understanding. By following the path set before us and despising the shame like Christ, we are guarantee to reign with Him after we have suffered.

Here are your clichés, lol. This too will pass. There will be glory after this. Stay in the race. Trouble don’t last always.

K love you baaaaaiiiiii.