Influencers Devotionals

The Eye of the Storm by Rocky Fleming

January 27, 2021

The Eye of the Storm

by Rocky Fleming

 

“And everything I’ve taught you is so that the peace which is in me will be in you and will give you great confidence as you rest in me. For in this unbelieving world you will experience trouble and sorrows, but you must be courageous, for I have conquered the world!” John 16:33 TPT

  Have you ever been through a hurricane?  I have.  In fact, it has been the case for my family and me several times starting in 1969 with Hurricane Camille.  Hurricanes are peculiar.  They can have winds up to two hundred miles per hour near the center and then not far from the worst part of the storm, wind can be calm and in fact beautiful skies can be seen.  It is called the Eye of the Storm.  In this center of the hurricane, it is possible to find safety for a while.  But remaining there is almost impossible to do.  So, it’s only a temporary shelter unless some force more powerful than a storm intercedes and keeps you there. When we went through our hurricanes and the eye passed over us, we thought the storm had ended only to be shown an hour or two later that the back part of the storm was still coming, and it is often the worst part.  There was a dangerous lull that took place in the eye of the storm.  Dangerous?  Right, dangerous.  It is on the backside of the storm where wind and tides are often at their worse, and they hit unsuspecting people who thought the hurricane was over, bringing great casualties.  They simply lose their fear and respect for what surrounds them, in the eye of the storm, and it gets them. Have you ever heard of Hurricane Hunters?  They are brave men and women who fly a Lockheed WC-130J plane into the center of a hurricane to take readings.  They save a lot of lives because of it.  They fly as high as 10,000 feet to as low as 500 feet in the eye of the storm.  They know how to get in and get out.  But they always respect that their lives are on the line if they do not remain diligent.  They know they have to be on alert at all times. Have any of you ever been to Israel?  When Sallie and I went a few years ago, our Jewish/Christian guide told us that Israel is like an island of peaceful tranquility surrounded by a sea of chaos.  Sounds like they live in an eye of a storm doesn’t it?  Almost every nation around Israel wants it to be eradicated.  These jealous nations I speak of also show a lot of disorder within their own borders and battles with each other.  Israel exists in a metaphoric eye of the storm, and they know it.  Therefore, they keep their borders guarded, they have their weapons on standby, and they remain diligent by knowing the danger is still there, though out of sight.  This is what one does when we live in any delicate balance of inner peace while surrounded by a world of chaos in our lives.  We respect that though we might be living in a peaceful situation at present and all is well, we are only a short distance from turmoil that wants to invade our life. In some way Christians should try to live in the eye of the storm like Israel does.  We must give great effort to find that peaceful center that God can give us, for He wants it for us.   It is a place called abiding, and it produces a fruit called, “peace.”  This peace I speak of is a soul safe and soul nurturing rest, and it is found only by close proximity to Jesus.  Though our outward circumstances may be a raging hurricane of sorts, inside we feel safe and protected.  But it can end abruptly if we do not respect the enemy that prowls around us. Like Israel, we must have our spiritual border guards and spiritual weapons ready to be used when necessary. You might be tired of my metaphors.  But just a few more.  Sometimes we must live in troubled waters until we make our way to find God’s peace.  The storms of life and fighting against them parallels a Christian’s life struggle against the ways of the world and its value system.   Not yielding to the ways of the world grows our faith and matures our character.  We learn life lessons that give us wisdom and leads us to the center of our storms where the peace of God abides.  God’s peace, in the eye of the storm, shows us a contrast that reminds us that this world is not the Kingdom we serve, or the one we belong to.  We are shown that there is better place and a better way.  Storms beats us up, but God’s peace heals our wounds. What will 2021 be like?  No one knows … except God.  If that’s the case, doesn’t it make sense that we cannot find true rest and peace in a world and with its leaders when no one knows what comes next?  If I put my hopes in any leadership that serves the kingdoms in this world, while knowing that they cannot see the future and head us in the right direction, I can find no real resting peace, can I?  Can you?  But God knows and He cares about this next year.  He has a plan.  He is able to move mightily in our lives to execute any plan He deems necessary, and best of all, He is willing to enter our troubled life because of the storm we live in and take us to its center to find the peace He wants to give us. That’s where I’m positioning my boat this year.  I’m gonna drift with Him in the center of the storm called abiding, and He will take me where it is best for my soul.  He’s my Captain. If any of you find yourself in a storm and need to find its eye, reach out to us and we will help you navigate your life toward it.  That is what Jesus has told this ministry to do ... to show people how to abide in Him and find the peace with Him He wants for His family.  We reach back and help others find what has been given to us.  So, let us help you.  Be blessed on your journey this year, and may you find the Eye of the Storm.