Peace In The Midst of The Storm

My wife is a true worshipper, she worships in spirit and with her whole heart.  Amongst the various worships hymns that she sings there is one in Spanish which speaks depths of truth with but few words, 

"Hay paz en medio de la tormenta."

THERE IS PEACE IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM:

As I write this blog from the 'safety' of Lima, Peru I am in prayer for my friends and family in the North Eastern portion of the United States.  I think of my family, friends and acquaintances who are going to be facing what may end up being the largest storm in the recorded history of the United States.

It is not my desire to speak on the question of whether this is divine judgment or happenstance.  I don't care whether it's mostly hype or a governmental ploy.  I am not concerning myself as to whether this is the wrath of God or simply an undirected natural occurrence.  

What I would like to speak on are the storms of life in general- be it a "Sandy" or a sin spree.  Our problems could be a hurricane or a hurting heart, devastating winds or demolished dreams, property damage or the loss of a loved one.  

Jesus promised in John 16 that there would be suffering in this life- it's one of the few promises that I don't hear people 'taking hold' of during their faith declarations...  

Yet in the midst of the sufferings of this life we can have the 'peace of God, which surpasses all understanding'. 

(Philippians 4:7)

Not after the storm passes, not prior to the storm touching down- there is peace in the midst of the storms of this life.  In the very center of the madness and chaos, in the moment when you should feel NOTHING but despair; in that very moment Jesus doesn't promise a guaranteed deliverance or a certain freedom, Jesus promises peace!

Be it hurricane Sandy or hurricane cancer, be it the frankenstorm or the failures of sin.  Storms are small compared to our giant God.  His peace can comfort us even in the presence of stormy moments.

Consider God in the midst of your next storm; be it Hurricane Sandy or a major life change- next time you face a storm don't bother telling God how big your storm is.  STAND FIRM AND REMEMBER THE ONE WHO GAVE ALL FOR YOU.

STAND FIRM AND TELL YOUR STORM HOW BIG YOUR GOD IS!!

When you set aside the fears of the moment and focus on the face of God 

He will give peace in the midst of your sufferings.

The Watchman's Hut In The Cucumber Field

“The Watchman’s Hut In The Cucumber Field”

Isaiah 1:8  “The daughter of Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a watchman’s hut in a cucumber field, like a besieged city.”

Cucumber in this context would typically refer to anything from the melon family. Anyone even remotely familiar with farming is aware that cucumbers, melons, and the like are products that grow at ground level.  They do not typically need guarding because their biggest threat is bugs and little scavengers.  Why then would a cucumber field need a watchman’s hut??

I was led to wonder what this verse meant a while back and began to study it.  Interestingly enough I found a very revealing answer.

In the days of old in ancient Jerusalem there were two major threats to melon crops.  The primary threat were jackals which would come and tear up the crops.  If there was no one to watch out for the terrorizing jackals then the crops would be ruined in an incredibly quick amount of time.  The secondary threat was theft.  The sailors would come out from the sea, anchor alongside a farm, and literally just steal the crops which someone had spent their time, money and effort in developing. 

In order to combat those two threats what a land-owner would do was rather simple. They would construct a make-shift and extremely temporary shelter and would appoint someone to stay there during the crop’s gestation period.  The watchman, typically an elderly gentleman, would stay in the little hut in the midst of the cucumber field and would guard the growing crops.  As soon as they were ripened and ready to fulfill their purpose he would leave and the shelter would literally just crumble on it’s own.

When the Bible references the huts and the watchmen God is being clear about two things:

1-The watchman have left the hut and the crops are up for grabs.

2-The huts are in decay and will fall just as any abandoned shelter in those days.

I believe that the description found in Isaiah 1:8 is an absolute indicator of modern-day Christianity across much of the globe.  The crops represent the Christians in each step of the gestation of their newfound faith.  The watchmen who are supposed to guard from jackals such as false teachers, infectious doctrine, ear-scratching phonies, and the likes- 

THOSE WATCHMEN ARE GONE AND THE HARVEST IS UNDER THREAT FROM THE JACKALS. 

In like manner, the enemy now has free reign to dock his ship alongside the farms and begin to pluck up the fruit before it ever reaches it’s potential.  Just as a sailor would pull alongside the coast and begin to steal the fruit, so does Satan come alongside so many churches and begin to pluck up the fruit before it ever reaches it’s maturity and becomes useful.

The watchmen have abandoned their post and the temples are in ruins.  We cannot expect our fruit to grow like this.  They are under open siege by the enemy without while simultaneously under attack by the animals within and we (the so-called watchmen) are on vacation!

If you are a pastor, a layperson, a leader, or anyone who calls themselves a follower of Jesus Christ consider taking the stand today.  Be the watchman who will protect the 'crops' from the attacks of the enemy and the attacks from within!  Stand up against false teachings, against the scavengers without and against the watered down version of the gospel that is being preached across the globe!