The Backdrop For His Glory

November 24

People of faith can become conflicted in their faith. Our desire is to be steadfast and firm in our resolve to be God’s people. We pronounce words of truth and profess to stand on the truth of the Word that we proclaim. But there are times in our walk that we falter, times when life’s storms cause us to cower in dread.

It is our desire to be steadfast, no matter what winds blow against us, but when we are caught in storms of adversity or persecution or sickness or betrayal or relational distress, storm can toss us to and fro. The result can be that we get off our course and into a whirlwind of despair.

We look to the psalmist, with whose words we can identify, and see a man whose heart is unwavering in faith but whose expectation can be compromised by the winds and torrents he is required to face. Like him, we can be tossed about in our resolve by the ebb and flow of life’s waves.

In Psalm 43:2 David says, “You are the God of my refuge. Why have You rejected me? Why must I go about in sorrow because of the enemy’s oppression?” While affirming the safety found in the Holy One, while acknowledging the refuge of the fortress of His love, yet the reality of the tumultuous waves overwhelms the believer who cries, “Why?” in his desperation.

Many of us have uttered that, “Why?” Our faith, too, has been shaken by the tempestuous storms of life. Yet, the Lord our God is faithful. He takes us safely through the storms. The storms reveal to us the intensity of the onslaught of the enemy we face, and the storms build our faith, as we recognize the great power of the Lord who takes us through the winds and waves to safety.

The winds and waves reveal to us that Jesus is indeed “our Rock and our Fortress and our Deliverer,” Psalm 18:2. The adversity we endure only serves as the backdrop for His glory, the opportunity for the Holy One to reveal His power in and through us (see II Corinthians 12:9.) He shows Himself strong at the point of our weakness.