Through The Thunder

Repent and return to Jesus and he will renew your strength as you see He is in control. 

“The ark remained…Then all the people of Israel turned back to the Lord. So Samuel said…If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods…commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you…On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord…the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. When the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid…But that day the Lord thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed” 1 Samuel 7:2-16

There are an infinite number of reasons why we end up walking our own way and turning from God. The question is not whether you will be perfect as you follow Jesus, but whether you will return to Him when you realize where you have gone wrong. After that people turned back Samuel told them the truth that if they were turning to God, they should turn fully and completely. What does that mean to you? In the world that loves to hedge our bets and have one foot in and one foot out.  We want to have our cake and eat it too. We want a savior but do we want Lord? 

The text says the people fasted and confessed.  Do you ever practice these spiritual disciplines? Do you take the time to elevate your spirit above your physical demands? As we confess the Bible says that Jesus is faithful and just to forgive.  Confession frees us from our chains and our burdens. Is there anything you need to be free of today? 

Are you ever surprised when you’re attacked after you turned to God? The story is so representative of our own experiences.  The enemy wants to get you off your game and keep you from going deeper with God. As soon as the people turned to God, they were attacked.  No one likes to be attacked in the Bible says they were afraid, but then the Lord thundered and delivered them. The truth is their fears were false thinking and God never lost all authority even when they were going through the thick of things. 

“The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength; indeed, the world is established, firm and secure. Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea— the Lord on high is mighty. Your statutes, Lord, stand firm; holiness adorns your house for endless days.” Psalms 93:1, 4-5 

How do you reconcile the truth of the Bible that God is in control with the chaos you feel in your life at times? David reminds us to consider how even the thunder obey the Almighty and the seas that can rage are silenced as they serve Him. It has been said that we would be better off if we learn to talk to our problems about the strength of our God, then to talk to God about our problems. David does exactly that by singing of God's strength rather than sinking deeper in his sorrows.

David says God’s statutes stand firm and holiness adorns his house. We can learn something from this. When it feels like the ground beneath us is shaking, we can speak the word that stands for over our lives. We can pray in it and through it and declare it. If holiness adorns the house of the Lord then should it not adorn ours? What could you do to purify your house and prepare room for more of God’s presence? Taking it further, what could you do in your own heart and mind to pursue holiness? 

“Obey the king’s command…Do not be in a hurry to leave the king’s presence. Whoever obeys his command will come to no harm, and the wise heart will know the proper time and procedure. For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter…I know that it will go better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him. So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 8:2-3, 5-6, 12, 15 

When you turn to God or return to God, how much time are you willing to commit to him? Solomon says, do not be in a hurry to leave the presence of the king. How many of us go throughout our day starting it on half empty? When we turn to the king, we receive the fullness of his presence and are filled with power, peace, and love. The pursuit of holiness says that the hell can wait, the demands of the world can wait, it says command your heart to not be in a hurry to leave the presence of the king. How much time will you spend with the King today? 

Solomon says revere and fear God. When the people fasted and confessed, their perspectives changed and they came into alignment with God. Solomon reminds us of the importance of having the right outlook when we look out on our lives. He reminds us to remember, who has the authority. What would happen if we simply learned to enjoy God’s presence, his generosity, and lived with gladness in our hearts as we were present in each moment? How would that change us and the community around us? 

“Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. The idols speak deceitfully, they give comfort in vain. Therefore the people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd…I will restore them because I have compassion on them. I am the Lord their God and I will answer them…their hearts will be glad Their children will see it and be joyful; their hearts will rejoice in the Lord. Surely I will redeem them; They will pass through the sea of trouble; the surging sea will be subdued…I will strengthen them in the Lord and in his name they will live securely,” declares the Lord.” Zechariah 10:1-12

Whatever God speaks, will come to pass. His word is secure and by it we are established.  It says that he sends rain and thunderstorms. What if we learned to give thanks to God for the thunderstorms and the times of the surging seas? What if he uses the different seasons of our lives to help us shape us and remind us to turn to Him? 

The Lord makes several promises. He says He will make us glad, make our hearts, rejoice, redeem and deliver us, guide us through our storms and calm our seas, he said he will strengthen us, and we will be secure. Do you believe Him? What promise do you need to hold on to today to help strengthen you? The truth is Jesus is in control even when the world feels unstable. Evil exists, but it is not the end of the story. Christ reigns above history and hard times. 

“I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder “Come!”…When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God…They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge…they were told to wait a little longer…I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?” Revelation 6:1-17

Is it a coincidence that the word that is spoken by the living creatures is the same word that Jesus spoke to the people he invited to follow him? He said come.  In Matthew 11 Jesus says "Come to me all you who are weary, and I will give you rest." Where could you use rest? Where could spending time with the King help refresh your soul and renew your strenght?  In Samuel, the invitation after God’s presence comes is for the people to return and come to God. This is the word that Jesus calls about to each of us every day. We have to choose to come to Him. Intimacy with God requires intention. If you do not control your calendar, someone else will. Holiness requires holding fast, being steadfast, in how we follow and obey the King's commands. Jesus commands us to come, but we have a choice of how we will respond. When we turn, fast, and confess; we find His arms are wide open and waiting like the Father for the prodigal.  

There will be a day of coming judgment and just like that day, there will be times of suffering. God is in the midst and sees all suffering. Suffering comes in seasons, and the people ask God how long. God answers that there will be a time after his purposes are accomplished. The question is if you are going to try to make it through those seasons on your own or make it through the day of judgment on your own. Does that even make any sense? Why would anyone try to do that? Why not stand with the king and be secure? 

The reminder in all the passages is to come to Jesus. Turn to God. Remember who has authority and who alone is the one worthy. Remember who controls thunder and calms seas. Jesus calls us to repentance and perseverance. He calls us to holiness and a life led by the Holy Spirit. He is the one who makes it so we can withstand whatever comes our way as we stand with Him. The question is asked who can stand on the day of wrath. And the answer is simply every person who commits their life to Jesus declaring that He is Lord, and believes that He is the Savior.