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PATIENCE AND PEACE IN PERSONAL STORMS

SCRIPTURE READINGS
JOB 38:1-11
2 CORINTHIANS 6:1-13
MARK 4:35-41

REFLECTION
“Patience and peace in personal storms” is the theme for reflection. Patience is the ability to wait or to continue looking up to God in faith and hope despite difficulties. It also means to endure hardship on account of one’s faith without complaining. Peace, on the other hand, is experiencing wholeness and serenity as a result of the presence or glory of God in one’s life regardless of the challenges one may encounter in life. A storm is a violent disturbance of the atmosphere with strong winds and it usually occurs with rain, thunder, lightning, or snow. Figuratively, storms represent challenges, difficulties, impediments, suffering or hard times a person is bound to encounter in life. The theme “patience and peace in personal storms” can be rephrased as ” Waiting upon the Lord’s deliverance through faith and hope in times of adversity while experiencing wholeness as a result of His glory or presence”. We shall reflect on the following key points as we deliberate on the theme:

1. Believers need to have patience while going through personal storms because God has a plan for our lives.
2. In addition to a believer having patience, the grace and salvation of the Lord become the source of peace in our personal storms.

Firstly, it is important for believers to understand that God has plans for our lives therefore we must be patient while going through storms. Job, at the initial state of his suffering, was patiently trusting and looking up to God but when his three friends started questioning his innocence and integrity or started giving possible reasons for his suffering, Job became impatient and began to question God about His predicament and vindication. God’s answer to Job clearly indicates that God has plans for our lives hence we must be learn to patient and hopeful in our personal storms or challenges. “Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm. He said: ² “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge? ³ Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. (Job 38:1-3). In the rest of the verses from Job 38:3-11, God demonstrated through a series of questions to Job that He is the creator of the universe who is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. Job’s ignorance was exposed because he failed to exercise complete patience in hoping and looking up to God for his vindication and redemption from his predicament or personal storm.

Dear friend, Jesus and his disciples’ encounter with storms again points to the fact that we must be patient through faith and hope in the Lord because He has a plan for our lives in the midst of our personal storms. The disciples amid the storm had no faith in our Saviour Jesus because of fear. In fact, they lost hope, became impatient and , “….woke him (Jesus) and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” (Mark 4:38) To prove to the disciples that God had a plan for their lives for which they ought to have been patient by putting faith Him, Jesus “… got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.” (Mark 4:39). Dear friend in the Lord, anxiety or fear breeds impatience and lack of faith, it is for this reason “He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40). We must always be patient in the midst of our personal storms having faith in God and confidence in His plans for our lives, for He has assured us, “…I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. (Jeremiah 29:11-14). I do not know what your current precarious situation is or what you are going through, but I want to assure you that the Lord’s plan for your life is still unfolding, therefore be patient, have faith and keep doing your best according to His will, for ” those who hope in the LORD (or wait on the Lord) will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31). No condition is permanent, your marital, academic, health, financial, academic, business and employment issues will not remain the same while Jesus is in the boat with you. Jesus has not promised us a problem-free flight but He has assured us of a safe and gracious landing. He has assured us that “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) In other words, even with the help of mere mortals our lives and plans can be frustrated by the storms in our lives but with God, we shall overcome the storms with a resounding victory and testimony! O Yes, only if you keep doing your best and wait patiently in prayer, faith and hope, that marriage, graduation, journey, childbirth, contract or promotion shall come to pass to the glory of God. Hallelujah!

Secondly, in addition to believers having patience in the storms of life because God has a plan for our lives, it is instructive to note that His grace and salvation become our source of peace in our personal storms. God is aware of your existential, emotional and spiritual challenges therefore Paul used his own example of His experience with the Lord even in the midst of hardships to greatly encourage us in his second letter to the Corinthians when he wrote, “As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. ² For he says, “In the time of my favour I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:1-2). Indeed, we must not be shaken and terrified by the storms in our lives but remain patient regardless of the magnitude of the storms we encounter. The Lord’s grace or favour is upon our lives and He shall respond to our call on the day of salvation. Sometimes we may be overwhelmed with the storms and may be tempted to lose the peace of the Lord that has held us together, but let us always remember that it is not by our strength or might but it is by the grace and salvation of the Lord. The peace of the Lord is guaranteed in the storms of life because Jesus has the power to command the storms in our lives, “Quiet! Be still!” (Mark 4:39) and they will obey. Again, the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ is guaranteed in the midst of the storms because has assured us that “surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20). Beloved in the Lord, how do we remain patient even as we experience the peace of the Lord in the storms? Paul gave us the answer when he wrote, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

In summary, we have discovered that believers need to have patience while going through personal storms because God has a plan for our lives. In addition to a believer having patience, the grace and salvation of the Lord become the source of peace in our personal storms. May the Holy Spirit empower us to remain patient as we encounter the storms of life and may the peace that surpasses all understands rest and abide with us even as we face the storms of life. Amen.