Saturday, February 2, 2008
Walking in Our Shoes of Peace
In our last study, we learned that if we desire to stand confidently and emerge victoriously in life, we need to ‘shod’ our feet. We need to make the Word of God the foundation that we stand upon so that when the fiery darts of the enemy come our way in the form of physical trials, relationship woes, and financial troubles to name a few, we will not be moved nor shaken. Rather, we will be planted firmly in truth and able to walk with our heads held high knowing that our God is fighting our battles for us, protecting us from all sides.
Before we move on to our study on the helmet of salvation, the next piece of armor according to Ephesians 6, I’d like to look at an example from the life of the Apostle Paul of how one can walk in peace in the midst of major trials. Paul was no stranger to hardships. He had faced trials of all kinds such as persecution, ridicule, exile, isolation, physical attacks and severe beatings. His source of comfort was Christ and his purpose was to encourage others with that same comfort so that they too could stand strong in the midst of trials.
If you remember, Paul is the same person who wrote the book of Ephesians. He is the one who has given us the illustration of the pieces of God’s armor and He is one who undoubtedly knows how to suit up and walk in victory! In this account, there are some incredible truths about how we as Christians can remain standing on God’s Word, firm in our faith in God’s ability and willingness to act on our behalf. The result will be our emerging victoriously through the storms of life, impacting lives all along the way.
SETTING SAIL
In Acts 27, we see Paul, as a prisoner of the Lord, being transported on a ship to Crete. Paul could sense in his spirit the impending danger of the voyage and he warned the Centurion that the trip would be disastrous (verse 10). Unfortunately, no one listened. Rather, they set off on their way following the advice of the pilot and owner of the ship (verse 11).
As verse 13 says, "A gentle south wind started to blow, they thought they had obtained what they wanted..." Basically, they headed on their way with no thought of what may come and with total disregard of the warnings. I don’t know about you, but I often do the very same thing! Like the Centurion, I see with my visual eyes what seem to be perfect conditions, and I set sail on my own journey with my own plans and agenda.
What encouraged me here was that the Holy Spirit warned Paul of the impending danger. This is comforting because if God would warn Paul, I know He would warn me. God isn’t a respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). He is a loving Father who desires the best for His children.
We learned last session through our study on Psalms 91 that God is our protector and He is shielding us from the enemy. He is ready and able to protect us with His supernatural canopy of protection, by giving His angels charge over us, and through the authority of His Word. From this account, we see that He protects us through the Holy Spirit who guides, warns, and instructs us along our journey so that we are not caught off guard by what is happening or going to happen in our lives. God is ready to give us wisdom if we would just ask Him before we set sail. As we learned last session, by walking in fellowship with Him, we will be walking on the path that God has chosen for us and we will be sure to be under the protection of the Almighty.
Can you think of a time when the Holy Spirit has warned you of an impending trial? __________________________________________________________
Can you imagine how many ‘storms’ we could avoid if we just stopped and asked God to direct our steps rather than asking others their opinions or following after the desires of our flesh/emotions?
The times I have found myself in sticky situations are usually because I didn’t stop and ask the Lord what He would have me to do. I would make a decision on what made sense or what pleased my senses. I have learned many difficult lessons as a result of this, especially in ministry. One thing I have learned is that God’s ways don’t always make sense and usually they are contrary to what is pleasing to my senses. I have learned to ask the Lord prior to making any major decisions (and even small decisions). If I don’t have a clear answer from Him, if I am being rushed into a situation or decision, if I don’t have peace….I don’t set sail! It is as simple as that.
Sometimes, like Paul, even if we have asked the Lord to direct our paths, we may find ourselves in situations we desired to avoid. How awesome it is to know that even when we are forced into a situation against our better judgment or beyond our control, God is still in control and ready to work all things out for good! In this story you will see that Paul's life was spared and he was used in a mighty way regardless of how he found himself on the boat.
I am encouraged that no matter how we find ourselves in situations, whether it be by our choices or the choices of others, God is never caught off-guard. God has an answer to every situation that we find ourselves in the midst of or heading into. He who knows tomorrow knows the answer and, if we seek Him and acknowledge Him, He will direct our paths.
THE STORM
While on their voyage, a terrible storm appeared. The Bible in Acts 27:14 describes it as "a northeaster." For weeks they remained in the storm with little food and no hope for survival. Understandably, the prisoners and officials began to grow into a panic. They began to throw the freight and equipment over board (verse 18-19). Verse 20 says that ‘all hope of our being saved was finally abandoned.” The men were in a grave situation. They were lost, hungry, and understandably discouraged.
Often times like the men aboard Paul’s ship, we may feel like we are in a hopeless situation. Our ‘storms’ may feel like a ‘northeaster’ tearing through our homes, our bodies, our pocket books, our minds, or through our job. One thing God reminded me of as I did this study was that our ‘storms’ could also be a lack of peace in the depths of our souls. I know many people who have health, finances, a loving family, yet they often lack peace. Unknowingly, they are on an aimless journey.
What is your storm?___________________________________________
God is ready to impart to you His peace in the midst of our storm. How does He do this? He gives us His Word that has the power to bring us hope. As Amazing Grace says, “My God has promised good to me. His Word my Hope secures. He will my shield and portion be, as long as life endures.” I love this! God’s Word, His promises bring hope into our life. It is this hope that will bring peace to our souls and enable us to continue on our journeys.
Like Paul, with God’s help, we can remain on our life’s journey filled with confidence, holding our heads held high, because of our trust in the Lord. Like, Paul we can journey in complete peace and encourage others along the way.
How can we do this? We dig the spikes of our ‘shoes of peace’ deep into the planks of our ships and refuse to be moved by what we see with our eyes. I believe the spikes of our ‘shoes of peace’ are the Word of God. We stand confidently in our ‘shoes of peace’ by standing firmly on the Word of God. As we do, God’s Word secures hope for you and me.
GOD’S PROMISE
Paul came forth and told the men aboard the ship in verses 22-24, “I beg you to be in good spirits and take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you but only of the ship. For this night, there stood by my side an angel of the God to Whom I belong and Whom I serve and worship, and he said, do not be frightened. It is necessary for you to stand before Caesar, and behold, God has given you all those who are sailing with you."
Paul was given three promises in these verses. First of all, God promised Paul that He would stand before Caesar. Secondly, He promised that all of those who were sailing with Paul would not be harmed. Finally, there was a promise that the ship would be lost. That last one isn’t very comforting when you are out at sea!! However, we will see from this account that even though Paul knew the ship would be lost, he stood firmly on the truth that his life and the lives of the men aboard the ship would be spared. He knew that God would see him to the other side and safely to Rome as he had an appointment with the big man in town…Caesar!
Did you know that we too are given promises straight from the Lord? No, an angel may not appear to us and speak directly to us, however, God does speak and He speaks very clearly. How? Many ways. God speaks to His children through His Word as He reveals truths pertaining to our situations and truths pertaining to His character. He speaks through the Holy Spirit straight to our spirits; we just have to be still enough and quiet enough to listen!
The Word is alive, and it is powerful. It is able to change our outlook and ultimately the outcome of our situations. We will also see from this account that the Word we stand on also changes the outcome of other's lives. The Word is full of promises for His children and He is faithful to do what He has promised to do! Our part is to trust Him and take Him at His word. His part is to go to battle for us and bring us safely through the storms of life.
God also speaks through a Word of knowledge from other believers. Just know that you are always to take a word and compare it to the Word of God (the Bible) as God will never speak in contradiction to His written Word.
I don’t know what your storms in life may be but I do know that the Lord has a Word, a promise, just for you. Perhaps you have medical situations that seem hopeless. Perhaps your financial situation is overtaking you. Perhaps you have situations in your relationships with your spouse, children, relatives or friends that seem past the point of healing. Don’t despair. Rather, be encouraged. Like Paul says, “I beg of you to be in good spirits and take heart!” God is fighting your battle right now! He has a promise just for you!
STOP RIGHT NOW and get into His Word and find your word. Claim it. Stand on it. Cling to it. It will be your hope.
CHOOSE TO WALK IN FAITH, NOT FEAR
Once we have our Word, we, like Paul, must learn to stand firmly on the promises of God. We cannot focus on our circumstances and the things that may be around the corner (like our boats crashing to bits!!!). Nor can we listen to the negativity of those around us. Rather, we have to choose to listen to what God has to say about our situation and believe Him.
Can you imagine if Noah had chosen to look at the weather rather than take heed to the Word that there would be a flood? He and his family would have perished in the flood as he would have never built the boat. How about if Moses looked at the Red Sea and failed to believe that God would deliver them from the hands of the Egyptians? The Sea would have never parted and they would have ended up in the hands of their enemy.
In his time of need, God sent an angel to comfort Paul by giving him a word to stand on. God promised Paul that his life and the lives of the sailors would be spared and that he would stand before Caesar. At this point, Paul had a choice. He could choose to look at his situation and follow after his own mind, will and emotions. Or, He could choose to have faith and trust that God was able to do what He had promised to do. Paul chose to walk in faith!
Regardless of what he was experiencing and regardless of the circumstances surrounding him, Paul knew he would make it to his destination. Paul took God at His Word and clung to it. It was his hope! Like the psalmist in Psalms 91, Paul said, “I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I trust!” Paul didn’t need the details of how God was going to move on His behalf, all he needed was the promise that He would.
Like Paul, don’t worry about the details. God has every aspect of the journey planned. What if Noah spent time worrying over the details of how the animals would all get into the ark? I would imagine he would have had little time to build the ark. Noah didn’t have to worry about the details as God sent the animals into the ark two by two and God shut the door. Focus on God, not the details and not the journey. Trust Him! As you do, you will be keeping those shoes of peace tightly secured and you will be able to walk with your head held high no matter how overwhelming your situation may be.
REFUSE TO JUMP SHIP!
On the 14th night, some men saw what they thought was some land and they desired to jump ship. Ultimately, they saw what they thought was their way out and they were going to take matters into their own hands. "In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow" (Verse 30). Paul caught them lowering the small boat into the sea and he warned them that unless they all stayed on board they would not all be saved (Verse 31).
If we desire to emerge victoriously, if we desire to reach our destination (our promise) God's way and in His timing, then we have to refuse to jump ship. We have to stay on board and show that we trust the One who is navigating us through the storm. By staying on board, these sailors showed their trust in the Word that God had given Paul. It ensured that things were done God's way.
As we go through our journey, we too have to refuse to jump ship. How do we jump ship? We jump ship by losing our faith and taking things into our own hands. We start looking at our circumstances and then run to people, things or other situations to save us rather than trusting God to see us through. We jump ship by grumbling and complaining about our situations. We start wishing we were somewhere else or we wish we were someone else. We start searching for happiness in all the wrong places. We grasp on to anything that will give us a temporary reprieve from our situation. What we have to realize is that happiness isn't a place. Happiness isn't a situation or being delivered from a situation.
So often we fill our mind with ‘if only’ thoughts that end up taking us down paths God didn’t intend for us to travel. We think, "If only I could get this job.” “If we could only move to that neighborhood and move into that house.” “If I only felt better.” “If only I were married.” “If only I were single.” “If only my children didn’t act that way.” “If only I could have a child.” The list can go on and on. So often we jump ship on God's plan in the midst of a trying time because we think we see the way out. We think we have the answer. However, when we jump ship on God’s plan we swim away from the One who holds tomorrow and the answer to our situations in His hands.
CUT LOOSE!
"So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it fall away" (Verse 32). I can only imagine the sinking feeling within the sailor’s hearts as they watched the “life boat” drift away. Can you imagine seeing land, having access to a lifeboat, yet having to remain on a ship you know is getting ready to be torn apart? Can you imagine giving up your opportunity to head to land where there may be food and shelter and choosing to stay aboard a ship that is being tossed about and that has no supplies?
Often times we have to cut away the very things that we think will save us. Why, because God wants our total trust. He wants us to take Him at His Word and to do things His way and in His timing. He wants us to rely on Him. A great example (without going into great detail) is when God told the Israelites they were not allowed to save any of the manna for the next day (Exodus 16:19). They had to let go of what they could see and trust God to provide for them daily.
Sometimes we have to cut loose our dreams, our desires, and our plans and just say, "Ok God. I am going to stay on board with You no matter how rough it gets. I am going to totally trust You to see me through to the other side. I am going to learn to be content where I am and be used where I am right now. I know you have a destination and you have a plan that is going to prosper me, and it will not harm me. I know that you will work this situation out for good and that when I emerge to the other side, I will be better. I will be more like you, I will be stronger and I know that I am going to impact lives along the way."
ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO REMAIN COURAGEOUS
"So keep your courage, men, for I have faith, complete confidence in God, that it will be exactly as it was told to me (verse 25).”
“In the midst of the storm, Paul urged them to eat, to take food for their safety. ‘For the last 14 days you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food-you haven't eaten anything. Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head’"(verse 33).
As I read these verses, I see several things. First of all, I see that as believers, we have a responsibility to encourage others in their journey of faith. Only by having our feet grounded securely in the Word of God will we be able to keep our own shoes of peace tightly ‘shodded’ so we are able to bring encouragement to others.
As we learned in our study last session of Psalms 91, when we trust the Lord and dwell in the shadow of the Almighty, we will remain stable and fixed (Amplified). In order to encourage others, we need to be stable physically, emotionally and spiritually. We cannot be weak physically, nor can we ride a roller coaster ride of emotions and expect to be able to encourage others on the journey.
Not many people, even Christians, realize that these three areas of our lives are closely related. If we desire to walk in victory, we need to be balanced spiritually, emotionally and physically. Paul, in his shoes of peace, had stability spiritually as he trusted God by standing firmly on His Word. He had stability emotionally as is evident from his ability to think rationally and give rational advice (he encouraged the men to eat and build their strength). He had balance physically as he sought to care for the physical needs of the men.
Secondly, I see that when we are in a trial, we are to take care of the things we know God desires for us to do. For example, in verse 33, we see Paul encouraging the men to take care of their physical needs when he told them to ‘take food for their safety.’ Basically, Paul was saying, “Guys, for the last 14 days you have done nothing but worry about this situation. Let go and let GOD handle what only He can handle. Have faith! You cannot do anything about this situation so take care of the only thing you can right now…yourself! God has promised to deliver us, so trust Him. In the meantime, eat and build your strength.” In this situation, the only thing the men could do was take care of their physical needs by eating.
What do you do in your “meantime,” the time between setting sail and reaching your promised destination? In certain situations, there will be some things we just cannot do anything about (even though we will want to!). Perhaps we want healing but we haven’t experienced any physical signs that our healing has taken place. What do we do? Paul is telling us to take care of the thing you know you are to do. In this case, it would be to take good care of your physical body. So often we desire healing, an instant touch from God, but we aren’t willing to do our part. What is our part? Eat right, exercise, educate ourselves on how to better care for ourselves and do it!
Perhaps you want deliverance from your financial storm. Start by doing what you know to do. Spend your money wisely now and formulate a plan based on the principles of God for reducing your debt. God desires for us to look after the needs that we know need to be taken care of and then we are to trust Him to take care of the rest. As Joyce Meyer’s always says, “Do your best and let God take care of the rest!”
Trust God in the ‘meantimes’ of your life. Take Him at His Word, dig your shoes of peace firmly in the ground and march on confidently with your head held high (Lev. 26:13). Be patient and persevere until you reach your destination. Focus on what you know you are to do and God Himself will be taking care of the things you cannot change.
Hebrews 10:36 of the Amplified Version says, “For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away (and enjoy to the full) what is promised.” Did you hear that? Our part is to do the will of the Father, to be patient and endure by not taking matters into our own hands. God’s part is to bring us to our promise. It is His promise to us.
What is the will of the Father? Doing the things we know we are to do. Love Him with all of our soul, strength and mind. Love others as yourself. Take care of the temple of God (our bodies). Fellowship with Him, obey Him and trust Him with our lives. As a result, we will receive and enjoy to the full what God has promised us!
Finally, I see that Paul is able to encourage others and give them godly advice because He has traveled the same journey they are on. Often times God allows us to journey through a storm because only by going through the storms ourselves will we be able to help others on their journey. People listen to people who have traveled like roads. People who have lost a child often gain encouragement from people who too have suffered such a loss. People who have journeyed through the storm of cancer are able to hold the hands of those on the journey and lead them to their destination. There is a sense of identification between people who have traveled through the same storms of lives and God can use that identification in a powerful way.
II Corinthians 1:3-4 says “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of sympathy and the God (Who is the Source) of every comfort. Who comforts us in every trouble, so that we may also be able to comfort those who are in any kind of trouble or distress, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” When we go through the journey of life with God at the helm, we can be sure that He will bring us comfort along the way. He will strengthen us and empower us with His Holy Spirit. Why? Because God desires for us to emerge from our battles victoriously so that we can comfort others who are going through similar trials.
GIVE THANKS NOW!
Once Paul said these words of encouragement, he took bread, gave thanks to God before all of them, broke it and ate (verse 35). He took his advice before these men. He practiced what He was preaching. He gave thanks to God in the middle of the storm. He lifted his eyes to the hills from where his help came from. By verbally giving thanks to God in the storm for their protection, for the food, and for His promise, the men themselves “all became more cheerful and were encouraged and took food themselves.”…all 276 of them (verses 36-37)!
We as Saints are responsible for setting the example. We can encourage and give advice, but we have to live it. Like Paul, we need to give thanks to God in every situation and at all times; the result will be a completely different outlook on the circumstances for ourselves and for those around us. These men turned from doom and gloom to cheer and their actions proved it as they took food and ate “sufficiently.” They were then able to start doing what needed to be done…they started lightening the ship by throwing the wheat (another thing they could have relied on) into the sea.
PRAISE HIM IN THE STORM
What I love most about this account is that in the midst of the storm, as they were being tossed about, as the rain poured and the wind blew, even as Paul knew that the ship would be destroyed and they would have to endure the crash and make it to shore, he trusted God and gave thanks in the midst of it all. Paul set the fear aside, he cast his cares on the Lord, and he didn't allow others or the situation to affect his trust in God. Rather, he stood in his shoes of peace and praised God.
There is a contemporary Christian song by Casting Crowns called "Praise you in the Storm." It says, "Lord, I'd thought by now, that You would have reached down and wiped my tears away; You’d reach down and save the day. But once again I say amen and it’s still raining. As the thunder rolls, I barely hear You whisper through the rain, I’m with You. But as Your mercy falls, I'll raise my hands and praise the God who gives and takes away.
I’ll praise You in this storm, and I will lift my hands, for You are who you are, no matter where I am. And every tear I've cried, You hold in Your hand. Although my heart is torn, You've never left my side, I'll Praise You in this storm."
How do we do this? We do as Paul did, and as this song says, "We lift our eyes unto the hills from whence our help comes from. Our help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth." We focus on the promise, not the circumstances and we stand firm in our shoes of peace knowing that our God will see us through. The result will be that we are encouraged and others will see our faith and be encouraged as well.
Are you in the midst of a storm? Praise Him. Don’t wait for the waves to stop crashing. Rather, send up praises right now!
SWIM TO SHORE
In the end, the ship ran aground and was ripped apart. Those who could swim swam to shore. Those who could not swim clung to bits of the ship and made it to shore safely. “And so it was that all escaped safely to the land (verses 43-44).” Two of God’s promises were fulfilled.
When Christians face trials, we often emerge through the storms differently. Here we see that some men swam confidently to shore. There are many Christians, like Paul, who cling to God’s Word and His faithfulness and never look back. They swim confidently. Others, however, seem to be clinging on for dear life as God pushes us to shore. Regardless of how you make it, be sure of one thing….you will emerge victoriously! Trust God with all that you have within you. You may not feel very strong; however, just keep clinging tight to the hope of His Word. As you do, you will grow stronger and stronger in your faith and one day soon you will be able to let go and swim a bit more confidently.
DETOUR TO DESTINATION
If you notice, this isn't the end of the story. This land isn't Crete. It isn’t Rome. This was a pit stop on the journey. It was a small island full of natives. It was a place where God was going to use Paul and bring glory to Himself. He used Paul by allowing Paul the opportunity to share the gospel with natives who needed a Savior. God glorified Himself by performing a miracle. Paul was bitten by a poisonous snake, yet he suffered no side effects from the lethal bite. This miracle presented the opportunity for God’s power to be revealed to the natives.
Isn't it so cool to know that along the journey, even though we may not reach our destination the way we want or as fast as we'd like, we can rest in the fact that we are still being used along the way. On our detour, we can still trust that God is at work and that He has a plan…and a good one at that! God is amazing.
I cannot help but think about my own journey in life. There have been some incredible storms. I have often found myself in places where I didn't really want to be and I have found myself in trials for much longer than I would have liked to stay. There were times in the adoption where I was saying, "Ok God, I know you have given me these babies as a promise, but this storm is rough and it is long." But as I was making my way to our promise on the other side of the ocean, God was working in my life. He was transforming me from the inside out. He was revealing to me His amazing character and faithfulness. He was also working in the lives of Ivy and Dalton on the other side of the ocean, preparing them for their new journey.
Are you waiting for your promise to be fulfilled? Whether your promise is emotional, physical, financial, or relational in nature, be encouraged that along the way you are being used and your experience will transform you from the inside out! You will be a different person when you reach your destination as the journey will present opportunities for spiritual growth as you experience God move in incredible ways. Even on the ‘detours’ of your journey, you can trust that God is moving all around you and using you in a mighty way.
Perhaps your medical treatments to healing are a pit stop in your life. Realize that this detour is an opportunity to touch people you would have never interacted with on your original journey. I know through many of my surgeries (those where my heart was trusting the Lord) I was able to watch God touch the lives of others I met on that journey. I have seen friends face cancer treatments with an expectation of God doing amazing things…they were never disappointed. No, their journey wasn’t easy, but I don’t believe they would trade the detours in the journey for anything.
GOD HAS IT ALL WORKED OUT
As I continue to read the story in Acts, I see that once upon the island of Malta, the natives showed unusual and remarkable kindness to Paul and the shipwrecked men. What a cool God thing. You would think 276 men coming to their shoreline would have been alarming but God had it all worked out. He had already prepared the hearts of the natives and they were moved to show compassion towards the men and to provide for their physical needs. These men stayed in Malta three months before finally making their way to Rome where Paul made his appearance before Caesar. Can you imagine how the lives of the people of Malta were touched as undoubtedly Paul preached the good news to them during his stay.
Isn’t it awesome that during the pit stops of our lives, God has our every need taken into consideration? This fact should bring us so much peace. We can trust that wherever God allows us to go in our journey of life, He will provide for our every need. We can also trust that God has a plan and that He is working behind the scenes in ways we cannot see. He used Paul to minister to the natives and the natives to minister to Paul. Running aground on the shores of this primitive island wasn't a problem, it was an opportunity for lives to be transformed by the love of Christ. Likewise, our pit stops along the way are also opportunities for us to see God work in a mighty way.
OUR PROMISES BLESS MANY
Isn't it cool that this promise was given to Paul but it was a promise that blessed all of those around him? God promised Paul he would stand before Caesar, but He also spared the lives of the other men. I am so encouraged by the fact that as others stand firm for the Lord I will be blessed and as I stand firm, God is going to bless those around me.
CONCLUSION
James 1:2-3 says “Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience, lacking in nothing.”
Life is a journey...one in which there will be trials and tribulations. God's word promises it. But in the same verse God says to count it all joy. Doesn’t this sound like a contradiction? However, with God, it isn’t a contradiction. It can be a reality in your life just as it was for Paul.
Tie up your shoes of peace and march on! Persevere and trust that when you are through this trial you will lack nothing. I have shared with you many times the story about my father who stood yelling words of encouragement to me from the shoreline of the lake I was competing in at the World Championship. In the midst of my trial, my father was there by my side. Likewise, God is on the journey with you and He, like my Father, is yelling “You can do it Baby!”
You CAN do it, my friend! You can make it! You can stand firm no matter how hard your boat is rocking. God has given you all you need to make it and He has prepared for every stop along the journey. God Himself is fighting your battles for you, so fear not!
Every trial you encounter is an opportunity to watch God move and it is an opportunity to grow spiritually and touch the lives of others. Remember that no matter how large your "northeaster" may be, greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world! Stand firm, refuse to jump ship, praise Him in the midst of the storm and watch God deliver you unharmed to your promised land!
