Where was God in the Middle of a Ministry Storm

(Part 1 of 3)

At times we run into ministry opportunities

Out of our zeal and eagerness

To live out our faith and calling

Maybe we heard clearly God’s leading

Sometimes we acted out of obedience

Or even obligation

Whichever mixed motives we might have had

We acted out of obedience

Faith without works is dead

So we lived out of our living faith

And then

Things go wrong

In big or small ways

We hit a snag

Things become a hassle

Ministry becomes difficult

We feel burnt out

Ministry becomes deplete of joy

We are confused

We feel resentful

Or even bitter

God appears to be silent

Really? God?!

In the midst of our obedience to Your Calling?

You become SILENT

While the storm wage all around us?

“As they sailed, He fell asleep.

A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped,

and they were in great danger” (Luke 8:23)

Great danger!

Grave Danger!

But Jesus was “asleep” in the boat

Not bailing out the water

that was filling up the boat

Like the rest of the disciples were doing

All of them could have drowned

The disciples

And Jesus

Wake up, Jesus

Wake up

You’ve sent us on this mission

What are You doing when the going is getting tough

What good is Your “presence” when You’re asleep

You could at least lend us a hand to bail out the water

Swamping the boat

With You in it

We feel abandoned

Uncared for

Dismissed

Tossed aside

Unseen

Unheard

Rejected

Powerless

Hopeless

Very confused

Didn’t we hear You, God

Where did we go wrong

That You’d abandon us like this

Did we misunderstand Your calling

Did we mishear what You were saying

About this mission

About this circumstance

Did we not keep in step with the Holy Spirit

and have stepped outside of Your will

Are You disciplining us trying to teach us a lesson

Are You punishing us for our impure motives

What’s going on, God

Talk to us

Don’t be silent

Don’t fall asleep on us

Don’t abandon us

Especially not in the middle of a huge storm

Wake up

Get up

Do something

Say something

G O D

A very silent God

We feel like we are on our own

Having to bail out the water by ourselves

We are the one who must bail ourselves out

This could go on for the entire storm

And even after the storm has calmed down

We feel abandoned

Confused

Rejected

Lost

Dejected

Where were You God

Why didn’t You show up

Even if it’s just Your Presence

So we didn’t have to feel all alone out there

A silent God

Where is the Jesus Who woke up

and spoke to the storm

Were You even in my boat Jesus

Were You here with me in the storm

Silence

and

Confusion

TO BE CONTINUED…

Where was God in the Middle of a Ministry Storm

(Part 2 of 3)

How do we react

How shall we respond

When God is

Silent

After we have been obedient to do His bidding

At the least we are confused

We doubt ourselves

We doubt our spiritual sighting

Did we not hear correctly

Did we jump into a ministry opportunity

Out of our own selfish ambition

Out of our own misguided motives

Did God really say…

Did we sin and this is God’s punishment

Because if we did do what God has told us to do

Wouldn’t He be supplying all that we’d need

Especially when we are doing His bidding

Come on now

God

We’re doing our part

to do Your Will

Where are You

Where is Your part

Where are Your provisions

After all

We are doing Your Will

Not ours

We’ve counted the cost

And paid the price

We’ve acted out of obedience

Even when it cost us so much

Now You go abandoning us

Come on now

God

Do we walk away

Do we turn our backs from God

Since He has turned His back on us

Do we walk away from not just His calling

But also from Him

Because He has not met

Our expectation

What we deserve

Walking in this narrow way has been too tough

We’ve persisted all these years

And it bore us nothing

Let’s now go to the smooth path

The wide and easy gate

Like Peter did after Christ’s death

Let’s go back fishing

Let’s go back to our previous vocation

Ministry was good while it lasted

And now it’s over

Let’s turn back to what we knew

Before Christ called us

That season of ministry is over

Now it’s back to the usual

Back to the former

Back to what is familiar

Back to what feels safe

No more price to pay

Comfort

Familiarity

Back to what we know to expect

Back to reaping what we can sow in our strength

Or

At best, this might be a new chapter of our lives

It’s time to try something brand new

We don’t have to waste what we’ve learned

We can incorporate our experiences and expertise

gained while in ministry

Along with what we learned before entering ministry

Start something new

Since God is obviously no longer blessing us in this ministry

Or

Do we walk away from God completely

Since He abandoned us first

He no longer is deserving of our devotion

God abandoned us

God rejected us

We reject You back

You walked away from us God

We now walk away from You

See how that feels

G          O         D

TO BE CONTINUED…

Where was God in the Middle of a Ministry Storm

(Part 3 of 3)

What if behind the silence

God has been acting

Lovingly

In our stead

Behind the scenes of what we can view

What we can possibly understand

God has been working

God has been present

Actively involved in every aspect of our lives

God was there at the beginning of creation

God was there when Adam and Eve sinned

God was there when He provided a ram as a scapegoat for Isaac

God was there when Christ died on the cross as the Scapegoat for us

God was there when Christ rose from the dead

Our Omnipotent God

Our Omniscient God

Our Omnipresent God

Who

Was

Is

and Forever will be

God

The Great I AM

God

The God who spoke the universe into existence God

The God who knows the end from the beginning God

The God who is always with us, Emmanuel God

Even in the silence

Even when we feel abandoned

Rejected

Punished

Dejected

God who is at work

He is God in Heaven

And we are but dust here on earth

God exists and reigns forever

While our lives are but a mere breath

Here today and gone tomorrow

Like a tumbleweed

Puff

Swept away

Gone

Our Sovereign God is on the Throne

He has been ruling

Reigning

Caring enough for us that He died for us

Christ suffered the loneliness

Rejection

Abandonment

In Gethsemane

And on the cross

For we do not have a Great High Priest who is unable to empathize with us

For He was tempted in all ways like us

And yet

He was without sin

Let us then

Boldly

Approach the Throne of Grace and Mercy

In our times of need

For He understands our feelings

Our dejection

Our experiences

Just as Elisha asked God to unveil to his servant

Hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha

When the servant only saw Aram’s army surrounding them

For

“Those who are with us are more than those who are with them”

God’s Ministering Angels at work

Guiding

Protecting

Providing

For God’s children

For we are but humans made lower than the angels

And yet

The angels are there to serve and minister to us

Behind the scenes

Not visible to our naked eye

We would not have known

How or what

God was doing

While on this side of Heaven

One day we will see clearly

On the other side

Where

God the Father is excited to embrace us in His arms

God the Son welcomes us to be His co-heirs

God the Holy Spirit rejoices with us as we are perfect like Him

While our experience on earth may at times be

Afflicted in every way

but not crushed

Perplexed

but not driven to despair

Persecuted

but not forsaken

Struck down

but not destroyed

May the Holy Spirit open our spiritual eyes

That we might see into the spiritual realm

Of what God is doing

Even when we only experience

Silence

"Even When It Hurts" - Hillsong

"I Remember" by Lauren Daigle