The Perfect Storm pt. 2
If you've ever experienced a storm brewing throughout your life, you may wonder, why would I refer to it as “perfect”. To be quite honest, the word “perfect” sounds pretty appealing while the word “storm” comes off as a bit contradictory as we evaluate the phrase, “The Perfect Storm”. It’s one thing to have a lingering concern or two, it’s another to have random concerns pile up on top of your usual lingering ones. For instance, maybe you’ve been believing in God for a supernatural healing in your body for about a year or 2 now, and all while enduring the uncomfortability that comes with being ill, you’re faced with the loss of a job, unforeseen expenses of which you’re unable to afford, the betrayal of a spouse, and a defiant child. This is just one example of what a storm may look like for you or an acquaintance.
Side note:
You never know what people are going through behind closed doors, be mindful of how you treat others when you have no idea what they’re faced with daily, yes, even when they’re being jerks. It’s important that we allow God to reveal to us the truth behind the facade, more often than not, things are not as they may seem.
Let’s continue…
Nahum 1:3 states, “The Lord is slow to anger but great in power; the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet”.
Pay close attention…
What are tornadoes known for? Quite literally stirring up its surroundings, tossing things around, pretty much causing chaos (presumably).
As we go through Nahum, we find that the storm almost symbolizes the removal of that which is not of God and the establishment of that which is. The result of the “way” of the Lord which is in “the whirlwind and the storm” seems to be both wrath and destruction AND deliverance and restoration. Almost as if there cannot be one without the other. What an interesting theory, huh?
For we fight not against flesh and blood, right? If we’re always in a spiritual war, then in order for God’s will to be enacted in our lives there must always be a need for God to fight on our behalf, and deliver us from that which is trying to keep us from His promises, “…The battle is not your battle, it is God’s” (2 Chronicles 20:15).
So, if God allows for your oppression, which results in a personal storm of some sort, then there must be forces beyond this realm giving off an illusion that the promises of God will not manifest in your life. So, as stated in part 1, the storm MUST be an indication that God is working on your behalf. Here’s the question, is your storm collateral damage due to a war, or is your storm the last minute scramble of your oppressor (the enemy) meant to throw you off course? That’s something you have to take to God in prayer, as will I. Either way, it’s a test of faith. How will you respond to the oppression? Start by asking God what it is you’re meant to learn throughout, what is it He’s trying to place in you, or get out of you in this season of your life. There's a reason for every season.
This is why this is, “The Perfect Storm”, because as the saying goes, it “kills two birds with one stone”, or more like it kills one bird and delivers the other with one stone, if you get what I mean. It’s a storm that purges the wicked and exalts the righteous, it makes room for the new all while replacing what’s been removed. So maybe, the storm is also an indication of how fast God intends on changing your life’s circumstances, or maybe God’s just bragging on you as He did Job (all jokes, but aye, maybe).
Take everything back to God, but if this is indeed the purpose of the storm brewing in your life, then it truly is, “The Perfect Storm”.
Confirmations…
This is the purpose of tornadoes according to an online source, “To oversimplify this a bit, a tornado (or any other atmospheric vortex) is the most efficient way to move air from one part of the atmosphere to another on its size and time scale. In fluid flow (whether gas or liquid), a vortex often forms when some kind of instability exists between one part of the fluid and another, and that difference is strong enough that the fluid needs to relocate mass quickly to restore more stable conditions again.” (THE BASICS ABOUT TORNADOES).
There IS no one without the other, if restoration is your story, then God must stabilize the instability, in His divine way. In a way this answers the question above, “…is your storm collateral damage due to a war, or is your storm the last minute scramble of your oppressor (the enemy) meant to throw you off course?”. The storm is the result of a war (Ex. “a vortex often forms when some kind of instability exists between one part of the fluid and another”), and if that’s true, a shift into a new atmosphere or season is necessary for the promise of restoration to occur (Ex. “fluid needs to relocate mass quickly to restore more stable conditions again”).
Sources:
THE BASICS ABOUT TORNADOES. The online tornado FAQ (by Roger Edwards, SPC). (n.d.).https://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20purpose%20for,its%20size%20and%20time%20scale.
