Storms Don't Last Forever

What a storm we had this afternoon. The lightning bolts were bright and seemed to pause, almost demanding our attention. The thunder was booming and the rain was falling. My wife and I sat on the back porch in amazement, as we watched one lightning bolt after another. The storm lasted for less than an hour and then it was over. The lightning ceased, the thunder silenced and the rain stopped. It was in that moment that my wife spoke these words of wisdom, “Storms don’t last forever.” I said, “That would make a great blog,” to which she replied, “I know,” and then chuckled.

Like thunderstorms, the storms of life seem to hit us out of nowhere. Life can be sunny and before you know it, you are in the middle of a storm: Finances fall short, companies downsize, health fails, relationships end, careers closeout, cars breakdown, miscarriages happen, we fail tests, miss promotions, and the poor choices of others often affect us. We can close our eyes, cover our ears, and bury our head in a pillow; but the life-storm rages on.

It is no coincidence that the Bible records so many stories about storms. Probably the most familiar is found in Matthew 8:23-27 where a storm rose up while Jesus and the disciples were boating on the Sea of Galilee. The disciples were fearful and upset that Jesus was sleeping; but when they woke Him, He calmly said, “Peace, be still,” and the storm ended.

Listen to some of the promises in Scripture related to the storms of life. Psalm 57:1 tells us that we can take refuge under the shadow of God’s wings, until the storms of destruction pass by. Nahum 1:7 tells us that God is a stronghold and we can take refuge in Him. Psalm 91:1-2 calls God my (personal) refuge and my (personal) fortress. Isaiah 4:6 calls God a refuge and a shelter from the storm. Psalm 23 reminds us that God protected those travelers that navigated through the treacherous Valley of the Shadow of Death (a literal place). 2 Cor. 4:8-9 states, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” Just “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

You may remember the song “The Anchor Holds,” written by Lawrence Chewning and sung by Ray Boltz. I had the privilege of hearing those two men sing that song together. Just before they sang it, I heard Lawrence Chewning tell the story of writing that song in his year of sorrows after: his father died, his wife experienced her third miscarriage, the church he planted and pastored for 19 years split, and he was tired, burned-out and discouraged. It was during that time that God gave him the lyrics to “The Anchor Holds” and used it to comfort, encourage and renew his soul. Those words have also blessed countless thousands of other people, too!

Today, you may find yourself in the middle of a personal storm. In the words of my wife and a Bible full of promises, remember that storms do not last forever. “Weeping may last for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). Hang in there!

GOD ALLOWS MULLIGANS, DO-OVERS & SECOND CHANCES

Bad choices, broken hearts, shattered dreams and irrevocable failures are all part of this thing we call life. Satan can use these things to paralyze us with guilt, but God can use these things to draw us closer to Him. He is willing to forgive our failures and to offer us a mulligan, a do-over, or a second chance.

Too often, people feel destitute after making one bad choice or experiencing a failure in life. I am so glad that God does not define us by our failures and is even willing to offer second chances. The Bible provides many examples of good people who were restored after making bad choices.

Moses is one of the great heroes of the Bible, but did you know that Moses failed in several areas? He was a murderer (Ex 2:11-12), he threw a righteous temper tantrum (Ex 32:19) and he directly disobeyed God (Num 20:8:12). In spite of Moses’ sin, God still used him to lead His chosen people to the edge of the Promised Land and to author several books of the Bible. God gave Moses a second chance and several more.

King David had an affair (2 Sam 11:4) and murdered the woman’s husband (2 Sam 11:15-17); but God still used David to lead the nation, to write many of the Psalms, to prepare for the building of the Temple, and to be in the bloodline of the Messiah. David’s broken and contrite spirit is recorded in Psalm 51 and God calls him a man after His own heart in Acts 13:22-23. God gave David a second chance and chose not to define him by his failures.

Scripture also records the story of a woman caught in adultery (John 8). According to Jewish Law, this sin was punishable by stoning; but Jesus stopped the religious hypocrites that were pointing out her sin and called attention to their own. The accusers left, Jesus forgave the woman and instructed her to go and sin no more. Again, we see a sinner, her repentance and God’s grace that extended to her a second chance.

Remember the story (I Cor 5:1,11) of the man having an illicit relationship with his stepmother? Paul instructed the church to break fellowship with him until he repented; but following his repentance, Paul told them to receive him back into the church family and restore him (2 Cor 2:6-11). This man was given a second chance.

Finally, for now, we find the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-25). The boy spent his inheritance on parties and prostitutes. When he hit rock bottom, he repented and returned to his father. The father welcomed his son and celebrated his return. The father lovingly gave his son a second chance.

The chorus to one of my favorite songs reads as follows: “I don’t know what a sinner you are, but I know what a Savior He is. I don’t know where your feet have taken you, but His climbed up Calvary’s hill. I don’t know what kind of words you’ve spoken, but His words were Father forgive. I don’t know what a sinner you are, but I know what a Savior He is.” That song reminds me that God is still offering mulligans, do-overs and second chances. According to 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Go to Hell?

The phrase “go to hell” is an all too common phrase and often accompanied by the one-finger salute or a few choice words. It is obvious that people don’t really consider the seriousness of hell when they make such a statement.

At the risk of sounding as though I interpret the Bible literally (which I do without apology), I believe that hell is a real place. Jesus taught more about hell than He did about heaven; so either hell is real or Jesus is a liar! The Bible describes hell as a place of physical, mental, and spiritual torment; where the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. It is a place of outer darkness, with unending suffering, wailing, and gnashing of teeth.

Society’s trivial approach toward hell has caused cynicism about it. Hell has been downplayed, glorified, and portrayed as a party. Rock-n-Roll classics about hell include: “Straight to Hell,” “Burn in Hell,” “Go to Hell,” “Highway to Hell,” “Hells Bells,” “Vacation Hell” and many more. The Charlie Daniels Band told us the “Devil Went Down to Georgia” and Terri Gibbs told us the Devil has blue eyes and wears blue jeans.

Popular television shows and cartoons including: Family Guy, Futurama, The Simpsons, South Park, Tom & Jerry, and others have used hell as a plot. Popular comics: Dilbert, The Far Side, Hellboy, and Spawn; used hell as their theme. Even Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Pluto have been depicted as being in hell. Is it any wonder that people have become desensitized to the severity of hell?

We would expect the secular world to be confused about hell; but sadly, even today’s churches seem to have varying opinions. There was no confusion in the minds of history’s great evangelists. Jonathan Edwards, Oliver Green, D.L. Moody, Charles Spurgeon, Billy Sunday, George Whitefield, Billy Graham and numerous other great evangelists preached a literal hell. They didn’t avoid truth for the sake of popularity as this generation does.

I believe some people have a hard time accepting that a loving God would ever send anyone to hell. The fact is that He doesn’t… He lets us choose. Because of Adam’s sin, all mankind is separated from God; but “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish (in hell), but have everlasting life” – John 3:16. Matt 7:13-14 LB reads, "Heaven can be entered only through the narrow gate! The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide enough for all the multitudes who choose its easy way. 14 But the Gateway to Life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it.” Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life and no one comes to the Father except through Him” –Jn 14:6. So, the choice is yours – heaven or hell - but avoiding the topic won’t make it any less real.