In the Middle of Our Storms “Immanuel” is With Us!
In the Middle of Our Storms “Immanuel” is With Us!
— We Are Not Alone!
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Message
The World Is Whirling In Many Storms Right Now!
It’s Crazy Out There, And Dark!
And yet, we all have those things that we are personally raging war against as well.
Maybe You’re In A Storm Right Now. Maybe it’s a storm named divorce.
Maybe it’s a storm called money, or loss of a career.
Maybe it’s friendship. Maybe loneliness.
Maybe grief or addictions. Kids, in-laws, friends.
Maybe it’s a storm called cancer.
Sometimes We Wonder Where Is God In The Midst Of Our Struggles.
Why is God allowing this to happen? We usually don’t understand, (even if we’re the culprit, it still doesn’t seem fair or right.) Yet God is there. His name “Immanuel” means, God WITH us.
In Matthew: 1:23 it says,
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel” (which means, God with us.”
That’s our theme.
It’s really believing and trusting that God is with us.
With that in mind, I want to look at a passage from Acts 27.
As Paul Was Being Transported To Rome, The Focus Was On A Storm On The Ship Paul Was On.
There was this massive storm at sea. The storm went on and on and on.
The crew was so terrified that they threw cargo overboard, believing they were about to die.
In Acts 27:20, Luke tells us;
“When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.”
When We Read, No Small Tempest Lay On Us;
Luke Is Telling Us This Was A Massive, Raging Storm!
It wasn’t just a rainstorm, the wind was blowing, the skies were dark day and night; they couldn’t even see the sky.
The storm was raging, and I wonder how many of us would use that phrase for what we’ve been going through?
The storm — won’t — stop.
Do you see the end of that verse?
It said, “All hope of being saved was abandoned”.
They gave up all hope of being saved! That’s terrible!
Have You Been There? Have You Given Up All Hope?
It’s the finances that are killing you and you see no hope.
Maybe there’s a wedge between you and your spouse and you can’t see any hope.
Maybe it was the diagnosis.
Maybe you can’t see yourself with a mate.
Maybe it’s a job, it’s the kids, it’s getting older and more dependent.
Whatever it is . . . and just like those sailors, you’ve given up all hope!
The storm continues to rage and in verse 21 we read,
“Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss.”
I love Paul! But right here, I don’t think I would want to hear what he said!
Kind of an “I told you so!”
“You should have taken my advice. You wouldn’t have lost all of this property. If you had just listened to my advice, you wouldn’t be in the middle of this storm.!”
Why Were They In The Storm?
They were in the storm because it was their fault.
They made a decision to go out when it’s not the best time to sail.
It was risky from the start.
Spiritual warfare is real and sometimes, yes, it is Satan.
But this situation was on them; they couldn’t blame Satan as much as they may have wanted to.
We Don’t Like To Admit It, But Sometimes It’s Our Own Fault.
Sometimes you over-indulged and you spent too much money, or you said something you shouldn’t have said and now you’re in the middle of the storm.
You procrastinated and now you’re paying for it.
You said yes, when you knew you should have said no!
You dated someone everyone said not to date, and now there’s lots of hurt and you’re in the middle of the storm and you can’t blame anyone else.
Maybe That’s Why They Gave Up Hope — They Knew It Was Their Fault.
I think we may find it easier to believe God can get us out of a storm He called us to, than it is for God to get me out of a storm we created.
Does that make sense?
Maybe It’s The Captain’s Fault.
You’re just a sailor and you didn’t have a say in it. You heard Paul, but you believed the captain and now through no fault of your own, you’re in the middle of the storm.
Have You Have Ever Been In The Middle Of A Storm And It Wasn’t Your Fault?
Your parents divorced and you thought it was about you.
The company made poor business decisions, which impacted you.
Someone gave you their word and you believed them.
Whatever it was, you were the victim.
You’re in the middle of the storm and you’re giving up hope!
Now, Paul says in verse 22 — “Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.”
Literally, Paul is calling them to have a positive spirit, to have good courage.
He is reassuring them there will be no loss of life.
How Many Of Us Need To Hear That?
Be Of Good Courage.
That’s a theme throughout the Bible. Remember what God told Joshua in chapter 1 verse 9;
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for The LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Be of good courage! Be courageous.
Don’t be afraid. Don’t be discouraged.
Don’t be defeated. Don’t give up hope!
WHY?
Because The LORD your God is with you wherever you go!
That’s news we need to hold onto! It’s great news when we’re giving up hope!
Then in verse 23 Paul said —- “For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship.”
Talk About A Powerful Statement From Paul!
You’re in the boat in a raging storm and an angel stands beside you! I wonder what some were thinking.
I Truly Believe There Are Angels All Around Us.
There are angels where you are right now ministering to you. I really do believe that. I believe the spiritual world, when we get there some day, is going to totally blow us away with what’s going on.
Imagine That You’re In The Middle Of A Storm And The Presence Of God Is With You In This Moment. You have no idea all the different ways God is with you. He could be with you as an Angel. His Spirit is with you. Jesus is with you! God is not bound by time; He’s with you yesterday, today and forever. He is listening to your prayers. He’s interceding on your behalf to the Father!
We Have No Idea How God Is With Us At All Times, Even In The Storms.
It’s what Paul told Timothy —
“At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me, but The LORD stood by me and strengthened me.” 2 Timothy 4
Isn’t that great? The LORD stood by me and strengthened me.
The LORD didn’t leave me; The LORD didn’t fail me nor forsake me.
He’s with me, at my side, and He is with you at your side, and He’s giving you strength.
Never Let the Presence of a Storm Cause You to Doubt the Presence of God.
Following Jesus doesn’t mean bad days won’t happen.
That’s bad theology to think that it does.
Jesus said that in John 16:33 —
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
You will have trouble, but Jesus promises us He will be with us and on top of that, He has overcome the world.
That means Jesus is the victor!
We have our victory in Jesus.
We Can’t Control What People Do To Us.
But, we can control what we believe and where we put our faith, put our trust.
My faith is in the One who created the wind and the waves. I have faith in God that what He says will come to pass. What He says will happen —- will happen.
Who Is God?
In Psalm 46:1-3, the psalmist tells us,
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
(That means right now!)
“Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.”
Don’t You Love That?
In the midst of our storms, God is our hiding place.
He is our refuge and our strength.
He is always ready, willing and able to help us in times of trouble.
Why? Because He is with us.
Who is He?
He is Immanuel.
He is God with us.
Because He is with us, we will not be afraid, even if the earth is shaken, (it’s sure shaking right now!) and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, even though the seas roar and rage, and the mountains tremble.
If we lose our job, if the relationship falls apart, if the economy gets shaky,
I still will not be afraid.
Why? Because He is with me.
Because He will never leave us. Because He will never forsake us.
Because He is what we need.
Because He is our safety. He is our strength. He is our comforter.
He is our redeemer. He is our righteousness. He is our friend.
Because He is a rock. He is the living bread, the bread of life.
He is the living water that satisfies our souls.
He is the gate through which we can enter.
He is the good shepherd.
He is our comforter and peace.
Peace is Not Found in the Absence of a Storm.
Peace is Found in the Presence of Jesus, and He is With Us.
That’s why you never let the presence of a storm cause you to doubt the presence of God.
True peace is not found in the absence of trials and storms.
That’s a part of life.
True peace is found in the Presence of Immanuel.
God WITH us.
Let’s pray,
Heavenly Father, we see the world in turmoil, we see the storms on the horizon. Wherever we turn, it seems as if darkness is attempting to encroach and suffocate the goodness in the earth.
But LORD, you have people filled with your Spirit, you have your own set apart and called and planned for this very storm and time.
LORD, those that are listening to me, many of them like myself are asking questions like, “What more can I do”?
It seems as a governmental policies are thrown aside and treachery wins the day. It seems as if there are family members who refuse to speak to one another because of either different political views, or they’ve been forced into doing things that they didn’t want to do and they said “no”.
Father we know all these things are being heard from you in our prayers and we ask that you help us to be like Paul, that we wait upon the strengthening of your angels that come around us.
You yourself were sent a strengthening angel in the garden of Gethsemane that ministered to you so that you could fulfill the ultimate call upon your life, to spare us from damnation and a place of great darkness for eternity.
Teach us your way oh God!
Teach us to trust you with all of our heart.
Those places that have become weak or frightened, or perhaps presumptuous, Father, we want to be on an equal plain of humility before your throne, that you can call upon us, call us up at any time, that we might stand and face the storm in the courage of knowing that every place in which our foot has tread, you have given it to us.
We will be strong and courageous, and we will not be afraid.
We thank you Jesus so much for being there, we thank you, Father for the presence of your Holy Spirit. We can lift our hands and close our eyes and lift our hands and begin to call upon your name, and peace falls on us, and that thick Presence, knowing that you are in the midst of us. The world does not have that! The wicked never taste that kind of full belonging and peace, and we thank you for it.
Father I ask those that are listening today, if there’s anyone who’s afraid, if there’s anyone going through a really hard thing, Father I ask that your Presence would reassure them, that your grace your mercy would overshadow them right now and carry them to the place they need to be whatever it would be Father, relationships, finances, harm in family situations, physical abuse, perhaps a difficult medical diagnoses. I would ask that you would show them, let them know beyond any doubt there you are there and that you are not leaving them, that you will get them though the storm.
Thank you Father for hearing my prayer in Jesus’ loving, mighty and glorious name.
I Hope You Enjoyed Today’s Podcast! I enjoyed sharing it with you.
My next podcasts are going to be in regard to some things that I’ve been sitting on, now maybe two or, two and a half years. Sometimes you must wait until you have a peace and full release to share specific supernatural things you have experienced and that you have proof of.
One thing I will be sharing is in regard to the State of Colorado.
Things that are now beginning to take place and I believe the word is to address this, but I believe it also is a national word. I have several things that The LORD has given me to share now as we are presently in a different time.
I encourage you to listen and then pray about it and pray for your nation.
We are in a difficult time. This is nothing but repeat of history over and over again, but I do know that when the enemy comes in like a flood, The LORD himself will raise a standard up against him.
I say goodbye to you for now and thank you for listening!
Rest Child, Rest in my Peace, Rest in my Peace, Child. Rest.
In His Shadow,
~ Mary Lindow ©
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” THE MESSENGER ” ~ Mary Lindow
www.marylindow.com
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Mary Lindow has a passion for encouraging others – all generations, careers or vocations to live expressing excellence through personal integrity, healthy accountability, and wise management of talents and skills. She’s a sought after keynote, inspirational, humorous speaker and teacher across the USA and internationally in Ministers & Spiritual leaders Conferences, and training seminars for various organizations.
WOW ! God sent that Word and it pierced my very marrow of my body. I had briefly met someone who wanted to seek a relationship but as it turned out it was to be her substitute for her husband dying of Pancreactic cancer so after prayed and shared months now to get her through the tough times. Now she has made it through the depression, and gotten a job with good pay, she now wants to be left alone and live life. I felt a sense of abandondment but now realized a blessing from her and she filled a portion of my life momentarily, but now it is God alone with me, ane the money I spent to help her has left me empty financially but I know God will restore me and I am taken care of, it didn’t provide what I needed but it was a part of the plan of God and it will come about for God used me as an instruement of friendship and blessing. His ways are higher than ours and He has me in His hands. Love that message as an answer from the Almighty to my heart. Thank you dear.
So well said, Mary. You sure covered every issue and truly we all have ‘our own storm’ in this time of unprecedented chaos in our states and country. I look forward to your next word about State of Colorado and US..Thanks for painting the perfect picture of where we are. I rejoice that HE never leaves us or forsakes us. He is preparing us to Hold to His unchanging hand and THE ANCHOR HOLDS in spite of the storm. Love and blessings, my frien, Sandi
I’m not pretending it’s in any way “easy” right now. It’s a daily, moment by moment of trusting God and learning to clearly hear each whisper, each nuance of His voice. Some find you “weird” or absolutely crazy for saying something like, “I’m just not at peace about something”, or— “I can’t watch that movie or read certain books.” It’s not about being rigid or legalistic! It’s honestly about not allowing the tentacles of humanism, occultism and communism to draw my attention away from the daily journey of learning about the height and depth and width of how much Jesus loves me and those around me. More of you Lord…. I so need more of you.
This word comes is right on time for me. Thank you for your obedience and I thank God for speaking into my storm. May God reassure all those who are facing a storm right. God is so amazing
Amen thankyou for this word