Adversity

Adversity presents itself to us in many different forms. These are often perplexing and confusing situations that show up at the most inconvenient and awkward times in our lives, and the most annoying part is that adversity does not need an invitation to come pay you a visit. It’s like that neighbor kid who just shows up everyday unannounced around time for dinner, or the telemarketer who calls around the same time. Nobody sent them an invitation; however, they are still there

One moment life may appear to be calm, peaceful and quiet; then the very next moment we may find ourselves caught in the middle of a huge storm. For some of us it is just one storm after another.

One of the only constant things about this “season” is that it seems like it is going to last forever. I think there is a purpose for this adversity though because one of the purposes God has for our lives is that we grow to maturity in our faith in Him and not in people or the things of this world. Many times you can tell that your faith is maturing by what you do and how you react during the storms that you are facing and in your problems. Here is a very good example:

"And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here." Acts 16:23-28 (NKJV)

Here in the Acts there is a story about Paul and Silas. These two lovable individuals find themselves in what seems to be a pretty big storm, or maybe a monsoon even. Now Paul & Silas were called by God to take the gospel into the region of Macedonia; However, when they got there, instead of wide open doors, like they might have expected, they ran into a season of opposition!

Instead of being welcomed with open arms and taken out to dinner by the locals, they are locked up in chains because they were at the place God wanted them to be, doing the very thing God told them to do. What I love about this is that they still had faith in God. The passage does not say they were crying and angry but that they were praying and singing praises.

Now for my favorite part of the text, it says "but at midnight". You know I’ve have heard people say that midnight is the darkest hour of the night and that it is when you are at your lowest, but what I want to point out here is that midnight is also a transition period. Midnight is the transition from an old day to a new day. It can confuse you because when you think of transition you think of a sudden, rapid change.

The midnight transition is very minute because nothing really changes but the time. I want you today to put all your faith in God no matter how it looks and no matter what they say. Don't allow the tornado siren to detour you because there is a transition about to take place in your life but you have to trust God.

Remember you are where He wants you to be. It's not time to put your faith in the things you see but put to your faith in the God who holds you in His hand.