Before & After

Do the storms of your past still threaten you with tumult and fear and anxiety and ferocity?

Are you still riding the waves of those storms, barely hanging on for dear life?

Is your soul tossed and battered and bruised?

Are you ready for the calm?

* BEFORE:

We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

~ 2 Corinthians 4:8-10

Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire;

~ 1 Kings 19:11-12

* RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE:

"...like a flower that has absorbed the cool

and refreshing drops of dew

through the darkness of the night.

Yet just as dew never falls on a stormy night,

the dew of His grace

never covers a restless soul."

~ A.B. Simpson; Streams in the Desert: 366 Daily Devotional Readings

by L.B. Cowman,

edited by Jim Reimann; June 30 reading

* AFTER:

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

~ 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

...and after the fire a still small voice.

So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

~ 1 Kings 19:12

Friends, did you pin-point calm's location? Yep, it is true, we cannot see the calm with our eyes, but we sure can feel the calm within our hearts and minds.

Whatever your storms, Jesus is right in the midst of them with you. He is merely waiting for you to tire of the storm-thrashing so He can speak with words that will lead you out of the raging rivers. And when His whispers of Truth do break through, climb onto the shore and run! Run straight to Him. He is waiting and His arms are open wide.

It is your turn. Yes, you.

Let us humbly pray:

Father God, so often we let the storms of life toss us until we don't even recognize our bedraggled and beaten selves. Let us breathe deeply of You, Your peace, Your healing and Your renewing. Let us be still so we can hear Your Truth and absorb Your drops of love and forgiveness and grace and mercy. In Jesus' name, amen.

* Please come over here to Lelia's place and see how you can join others as they come out of their storm too... Healing Hearts, Renewing Minds very own Jennifer will be there too!