The Tribune

By CARLOS SPENCER

All of us have faced a difficult situation at one point or another. Such is life. But this is when we as believers can turn to God for comfort and deliverance from our tempestuous experiences. God in His infinite wisdom from time to time allows us to face some of life’s storms so that we might be humbled and seek His counsel and guidance. “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.” James 1:2 (KJV)

We are told of the faithfulness of Jesus in time of difficulty in Luke 8: 23-35. Jesus “rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was calm.”

We see further evidence of God’s presence in our trials by scripture contained in Isaiah 25:4 (KJV): “For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.”

This significant message is reinforced in John 6:35 (KJV): “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

The important point to grasp is that Jesus promises to look after our needs provided we turn to Him, and hold on to our faith. His grace shall see us through whatever challenges that may come our way. This is so reassuring.

We should never forget the importance and relevance of scripture in our ability to count on Jesus, and ride out life’s various storms. We are told in Romans 15:4 (KJV): “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”

So beautiful! We can observe the presence and proximity of God at work shortly after the crucifixion and death of Jesus. God’s divine plan had to be followed, yet God was still nearby. In Matthew 27:54 (KJV) scripture tells us “now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, truly this was the Son of God.”

The existence of Jesus in our lives provides enormous (quiet) confidence as we navigate life’s storms. In 1 John 5:12 (KJV) scripture advises us: “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”

Awesome! We note the unfortunate experience of the man who was robbed and left “half dead” on his way from Jerusalem to Jericho but survived his misfortune. Whatever goodwill demonstrated by the good Samaritan, God was at work turning the injured man’s mishap into something better.

We are reminded of the important principle mentioned in John 3:16 (KJV), which is at the heart of our faith: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.”