When There's No Hiding Place

“And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, ‘Save us, Lord; we are perishing.’ And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?’ Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, ‘What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?’” (Matthew 8:23-27 ESV)

Do we, as followers of Jesus Christ, truly comprehend the power of God to perform miracles of his grace in our lives? Do we truly understand the sovereignty of God over our lives, and over all that he created, that he is absolutely in control over all things, and that nothing can touch us but what God has allowed it, and that he has allowed it for his purposes, and that he has the power to see us through it, and to bring good out of it? If we do, then we can ride through the storms of life at peace within our hearts.

Now, for the disciples, what they were facing was a literal and physical storm that was lashing them with the waves of the sea. And there are many people today who are being faced with literal physical storms, but not just on the sea with waves of water splashing on them, but via wars and famine and fires and hurricanes and starvation and physical enemies who are out to destroy them physically, in fact to murder many of them. And some of them are Christians who are being persecuted for righteousness’ sake.

But there are other kinds of storms we will face in this life, too. For not all persecution is physical. Not all persecution leaves physical scars that everyone can see. Much persecution (abuse) is verbal, mental, emotional, and spiritual. And it is orchestrated by liars, deceivers, manipulators, con artists, and haters who are resentful, bitter, jealous, and unforgiving towards others who they deem to be their enemies, but who may not be their enemies at all, but who may be those who love them with the love of God.

And so they may gossip about them slanderously in the hopes to get others to turn against them, too, and to believe lies about them. For they are backbiters who want to “get even” and who want to destroy the character of those they deem to be their enemies. Or they may bait them by making comments to them for which they are hoping to get a response in order to accuse them in some way. Or they may do the same in front of other people in hopes to get a particular response which they hope will destroy them.

A psychological term to describe these types of behaviors might be something called “gaslighting.” It is something used by abusers against those they target. They will also exercise mind games, intimidation, and manipulation to try to injure and to upset those they want to hurt. Those who make this their practice are often called “narcissists” (a psychological term, which can be misused, at times). They are usually the self-indulgent who are “in love” with themselves who take advantage of others.

But biblical terms to describe them are lovers of self, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, swollen with conceit, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, and having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power (see 2 Timothy 3:1-9). And this really is the best definition to define these abusers who want to destroy the character of those they regard as their “enemies.”

And there are a lot of people who are being subjected to this kind of abuse for whom there really is not a feasible way of escape because mental abuse is very difficult to prove, and many abusers are also charmers and are well liked by others. And not many people will rally behind the ones being abused, even if the abuser confesses to some of the abuse. And sometimes the one who reports the abuse is treated harshly and cruelly and is chastised rather than the abuser. And so the abused becomes the enemy.

Sometimes the Lord may say to the ones being abused, “Go someplace else.” And other times he may say, “Stay and see the salvation of the Lord.” Each situation is as individual as the individuals themselves, and all Christians who are in such abusive situations need to seek the counsel of God in what they are to do and in how they are to respond, for there are no easy solutions to many of these situations. And sometimes the Lord calms the abused and not the storm, for he has a plan and purpose for it all.

Whatever your situation might be, if you are being faced with a physical storm coming against you, or a mental, emotional, and/or spiritual storm, know that God is in control, and he has a plan and a purpose for it all. So trust his lead, and go where he sends you, or stay and ride out the storm under his loving care. If you are his, he has not forgotten you, and he has not forsaken you. And if you trust him, he will work it all out for your good, even though it might not be a good situation. For he never said it would be easy, did he?

[Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 12:49-53; Luke 21:12-19; John 15:1-21; John 16:33; John 17:14; Acts 14:22; Rom 5:3-5; Eph 6:10-20; Phil 3:7-11; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 1 Pet 4:12-17; 2 Tim 3:12; 1 Thess 3:1-5; Jas 1:2-4; 2 Co 1:3-11; Heb 12:3-12; 1 Jn 3:13; Rev 6:9-11; Rev 7:9-17; Rev 11:1-3; Rev 12:17; Rev 13:1-18; Rev 14:1-13]

‘Til The Storm Passes By

By Thomas Mosie Lister

In the dark of the midnight have I oft hid my face

While the storm howls above me, and there's no hiding place

'Mid the crash of the thunder, Precious Lord, hear my cry

Keep me safe till the storm passes by

Many times Satan whispered

There is no use to try

For there's no end of sorrow, there's no hope by and by

But I know Thou art with me, and tomorrow I'll rise

Where the storms never darken the skies

Till the storm passes over, till the thunder sounds no more

Till the clouds roll forever from the sky

Hold me fast, let me stand in the hollow of Thy hand

Keep me safe till the storm passes by

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_obOSQoOpQ

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