In the Storm
Photo by Florian van Schreven on Unsplash
Shalom! A question - have you ever been in a storm? I believe many of us have been there, but today I want to share my storm. I have very many stories about the storm, but this one was the most fearful one! A storm is not just like being on the sea or the lake or the ocean and the ocean starts to churn, the wind starts to rock the boat - that’s not the only storm. We pass through different storms in life. Some, it can be a crisis; others can be a situation; others can be challenges - so storms are in different forms.
We see the disciples of Jesus in the storm on the sea, and Jesus was in the boat enjoying his sleep. They were shouting, thinking that they were going to die. But Jesus calmed down the storm. So even as we pass through different things, we feel like we are done, we are not going to make it, this is the end of us. The good thing is, by the end of the day, Jesus shows up, in the midst of everything.
This is my story about the storm. When I was in the mission field sharing the gospel with the unreached people group, I was in the times when the rain is supposed to come, but the rain didn’t come. They always do sacrifices to their god of rain so that they can receive rain, but I kept on telling them, my God is the God of rain, my God is God of everything, my God is able. I kept on telling people that, and the community, some of the people, were like, this ghost (that was the nickname I was given in that community), this ghost is diverting our people to not do the right thing, but we are giving you one week, if it doesn't rain. They even told me don't ever come back on our stream (because they have a stream where they always go and take a shower from or bathe from). They told me don't come back on our stream, and if it doesn't rain within one week, we are going to take your blood to be a sacrifice.
Brothers and sisters, honestly, I got scared. I started to think that I'm going to die in a foreign land, foreign country, and no one would be able to trace me, and maybe no one will know that I'm dead. I got scared and I can't tell you that I prayed to God to help me, because I was always in fear. I remember the days I didn't sleep thinking that I'll be in bed, they would come, they would grab me abruptly. So I spent days not sleeping. But guess what, in the midst of fear, not even knowing which kind of prayer can I pray, not even having the energy of standing to pray, people were praying and God revealed himself. On the third day - they gave me one week - but on the third day started to rain.
In my life, I cannot even explain how I felt that day when it started to rain. Whenever I remember, I think of the song, O God, you are real, you are real. I remember I told God, I don't care whether these people have seen you. Saying those words I was crying, but tears of joy, I was clapping, praising God, telling him - I don't care whether these people have seen you; what matters is you have revealed yourself to me, you have revealed yourself in my life, and you have spared my life, and you have proved that you really sent me to that community. Those are the words I told him. My heart was filled with joy. I don’t have the right words to explain how I felt that day. God is very faithful.
This is encouragement to you, brothers and sisters. No matter what you are going through, God knows you. In the times where you feel you have failed, that very moment where you feel like you are done, there is no hope - that is the very moment where God is going to reveal himself to you. So be strong, whatever comes in your way, whatever storm comes in your way, be strong and just know that God will work it out. God will help you to overcome whatever storm is in your life. I just wanted to encourage you with that and hope that you will lift up your faith to the Lord again and trust him.
Shalom.
About the author: Emma is an All Nations fieldworker serving God among a neglected people group in Africa.
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