“I have learned to
kiss the wave that slams me into the Rock of Ages.”
An interesting
quote. Penned by Charles Spurgeon, one has to wonder what he was enduring when
he wrote it. Was he suffering? Was he being tempted or tried by something he
couldn’t endure…except for throwing himself on Jesus?
A friend and I had
a good conversation on this topic. Did you know that the waves of life are not
actually bad things? It’s difficult to believe, but true. Those tempestuous
waves teach us so much, often when we’re not even willing to learn. God has a
way of teaching us anyway. He allows trials and heartache to mold us into
something beautiful, something that is more prepared to serve others and be a
blessing. And He doesn’t just throw us out there without a life-raft or jacket.
He is our life, our very existence.
Best of all, He
not only walks on water, but He can stop the storm with a word.
But should we
always want the waves to stop pounding? According to Spurgeon, we need to learn
to embrace the waves. Why? Because it washes us closer to that Rock of Ages.
And there is nothing like tribulation to help us see the heart of God and
realize just how much He loves us. However, being drawn closer to the heart of
God isn’t the only beneficial aspect of learning to embrace the waves.
Did you know that
the stormy weather of life is sometimes a good indication of where you are
spiritually? If you are doing something great for God, you can pretty much
expect some difficulty to show up in your life. If you are sold out to Him and
making a difference in any way whatsoever, trials will come. Because the adversary wants nothing more than to
discourage you and trip you up. And, yes, Satan will sometimes use fellow
Christians to do it.
So, when the waves
pound, there are some basic safety procedures about keeping afloat to remember.
Discover what you are supposed to be learning. Evaluate if it could in any way
be an attack from the adversary because of something good you did…and then
rejoice because you are making a difference. Let the waves pound you closer to
the Rock of Ages.
And remember that
your Savior walked on water and stilled the storms when His disciples couldn’t
handle it anymore. He can and will do the same for you.
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