Fast forwarding in the storm

        Rain pours--and I mean pours--down from the sky.  Good night, last February was all cold, snow and ice.  This February is rain, rain, and more rain.
       The day took an interesting turn this morning, however, when so much wild weather was predicted that all the schools let out early.  Tornados all over the place.  And did I mention the rain?
       As we waited for this massive storm system to pass, my sweet sister emailed me with a wonderful verse she said they have tucked in a picture frame in their bedroom: "Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in You my soul takes refuge, until the destroying storms pass by." (Ps.57:1-3)  That's a mighty good word.
        Such an encouraging reminder of the One who holds all things in His mighty, nail-scarred hands...including us...and the storms that He allows to come our way for His greater, deeper and eternal purposes.
        It's all too easy to allow the storms of life to determine our attitude and outlook, isn't it?  But James' words keep ringing in my ears: "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have it's full effect that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-4)
        Apparently the Greek word used here for “count” is literally translated as “think forward.”  We might say, “fast forward.”  We are to “fast forward” in our thinking to what God will be doing in our lives and in our world through our trials.  Sure, we might not feel like rejoicing, but if we’ll think forward in our minds to see with eyes of faith to God’s far greater purposes through our troubles, then we can find true joy, peace, and hope right in the midst of those storms.
In other words, we can experience supernatural joy by fast forwarding in our minds to the glorious result God has for us.  That’s what Jesus did on the cross!  Heb.12:2 says  “Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross…”  Jesus endured the cross with joy, because He set before His mind the glorious purpose of saving us from our sins and giving us eternal life!  Or as Paul described it in 2 Cor.4, “this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not the things that seen but to the things that are unseen…”
When I look back at some of the hardest storms in my past, I can trace God’s amazing faithfulness in the midst of it as well as the remarkable ways He used it for His glory.  When you recall all the ways God redeemed  your past suffering, doesn’t it give you renewed  hope and trust that He’ll continue to do it with whatever you’re enduring today?  If He was faithful then, won’t He be just as faithful now?  YES, because our Lord—Who is the same yesterday, today and forever—will always be perfect in His goodness, faithfulness and love!
And you know what?  When we endure those painful trials and eventually come out the other side, our joy is redoubled, isn’t it?  I don’t mean everything works out, but we experience a deeper gratefulness and joy than we’ve known before.
        It's been four years since our daughter's accident, and I still weep over God’s nearness to us in the midst of it all.  His love, His grace, His strength, His gift of people and prayer.  I can still hear a song today, and it takes me back to that ICU room, and I’m overcome.  You know why?  Because I’m overwhelmed with joyful gratitude not only at what God has done, but also of all He taught us and how He strengthened our faith right in the midst of the suffering.  Maybe that’s just a tiny foretaste of what Paul meant when he said in I Cor.15, “death is swallowed up in victory.”  The suffering we all endure will be swallowed up by victory, and the joy will be multiplied exponentially!         Do you know what that means?
        No matter the storms we're enduring in the present or those that might appear on the horizon, we can completely trust our forever faithful God with the future!  We can stop worrying about the future and all of life’s “what if’s"...because God has it all.  And He’s promised and proven He’ll ultimately use every bit of it for our good and His glory.
        These storms will pass, the sun will reappear, and the world will look radically different and better.  So we can "count it all joy" today--trusting in all He's doing now and anticipating all He's got for us tomorrow and on into eternity.
        To God be the glory.