Living in the tropics, we are all familiar with unexpected storms.
It’s a beautiful day with clear blue skies and lots of sunshine. Then a little breeze starts to blow. In minutes, the wind becomes so powerful that you have to close all of the doors and windows before they blow shut. Then you hear the low rumble of thunder. You see the flashes of lightning across the sky. Finally (hopefully), there’s a massive downpour, and it feels like you’re going through a powerful car wash. In the span of a few moments, the weather turns from balmy to stormy. Isn’t life very much the same way?
We live our daily lives trying to focus on the present and be joyful.
We establish routines that make us feel safe and comfortable. We keep our calendars and schedules and expect things to go according to our plans. It’s a beautiful sunny day. And then the storm comes – a family member is diagnosed with cancer. A friend is in an automobile accident. The doctors can’t find the source of an illness. There are plumbing issues in the apartment. The dark clouds have obscured the sunshine.
We all experience challenging times throughout our lives, and they usually come unexpectedly, like our tropical storms. The way we weather these storms is by holding firm to our anchor, Jesus Christ. Even though we face difficulties, we know that God’s promises are true. He is for us (Romans 8:31). He values us (Matthew 6:26). He loves us (Ephesians 3:18-19). He wants to give us a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). As we come into the season of Easter, it’s a good time to read Jesus’ last teachings to his disciples in John 16. Verse 33 says, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” The upcoming Good Friday is a time to remember that Jesus showed his love by sacrificing his life (Romans 5:8). Easter is the day we remember that he literally overcame death in his resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:21-22).
I remember hearing in church when I was young, “It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming.”
In that time between the sadness and despair of Good Friday and the praise and rejoicing of Easter Sunday, there was a lot of grief, mourning, and doubt among the disciples. We also have seasons like this when we feel caught up in a storm with no visible way out. Jesus’ death and resurrection gives us the confidence to trust in God’s promises and his faithfulness to remain a firm anchor through every storm.
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