Blue Skies

1 Peter 4 : 12 - 13, Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. NKJV 

Peter gives us some very valuable wisdom in today's scripture. He tells us to keep a good attitude when the skies turn from a beautiful blue to threatening. We're instructed to rejoice because we are partaking of Christ's suffering. 

In some respects, life is a lot like the weather. You just never know when a storm is going to pop up. Consequently, we must be prepared in our hearts and in the natural for unpredictable situations.

Recently, our oldest son has had to endure a very painful and trying season in his young life. He hasn't just had a bad day or two; many things in his life have become tried all at once. As a full-time college student and part-time employee, he was constantly on the go. However, a few months ago his health came under attack by the enemy. While he was fighting for his life, other areas begin to come under attack as well. I was telling my wife, Debbie the other day how unusual it is for a young person to have so many problems all at once. 

 Have you noticed that when skies are blue and life is good everything tends to go as planned? Even though your day may not always go exactly the way you might want it to, at least you have peace and not trouble. However, when you enter a stormy season, it seems as though something has entered your life that is robbing you of your joy and peace. 

What do you do, or how do you respond to trouble when you realize that it is on your doorstep? Do you allow the misfortune to rob you of your peace? There's an old saying that goes something like this, "Tough times don't last, but tough people do." Aren't you grateful, especially during the hard days, that rough times aren't the norm? Even so, we must learn that while we're going through trials, God is still in control of our lives. We must strive to trust God in adversity, just as we do when times are good and skies are blue. 

Trials will try us, but they can also teach us to trust and to rest in God's love. Whenever the disciples were out on the water in a boat and a storm jeopardized their lives, Jesus came to them walking on the water. Nevertheless, before He calmed the raging wind and waves caused by the storm, He spoke peace to the disciples' hearts. Why was Jesus more concerned about the condition of their hearts than He was the storm and its potential threats against the men? It was because He knew the storm was already under His control; however, Jesus needed control over the disciples' hearts through faith in order to deliver them from the fear that was brought on by the trial. 

The storm that you're entering or having to endure today won't last. Nonetheless, if you will give the Lord any doubts, fears, or unbelief that has arisen as a result of the storm, then He can bring you out of it safely. Once the storm has passed, blue skies will begin to appear, and the adverse circumstances will disappear. Jesus is the Peace Speaker. Will you allow Him to speak peace to your heart today?

Peace Be Still, 

Pastor Asa Dockery