Tuesday, December 13, 2022

Calamity

 

That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting
That there is none besides Me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other;
I form the light and create darkness,
I make peace and create calamity;
I, the Lord, do all these things.
- Isaiah 45:6-7

Calamity and Peace are both in God's hands. This verse reminds me of the old song by Lynn Anderson called "I Never Promised You A Rose Garden".

While God is good, gracious, merciful, and loving, He also wants to change us. He wants to create in us a new person filled with His Spirit and the fruits of the Spirit. But to do that, there has to be extractions. He will extract your hatred, your closed mind, your assumptions, your judgmental attitude, your every fault to sanctify you and create in you a clean heart (Psalm 51:10).

This is a painful process. There are losses we don't understand until we see our wounds healed from them. There are obstacles we must overcome that feel like we're climbing a steep mountain, and constantly falling down. But it is to lead us to the pinnacle.

All of the things in life that feel like calamity are either willed or allowed by our God. And because He knows and sees them all, we never walk through them alone. He is a prayer away. He offers us far better than we can ever be on our own. He gives you strength and power (Psalm 68:5) to go through the struggle and win the prize.

Don't give up during a struggle when God is on your side. Wait till He pulls you through the darkness and shows you the outcome. You'll be happy you stayed in the calamity with Him.