Into the Storm

It made absolutely no sense to this young man.  How could the good God of Israel allow this to happen to him? His hopes, his dreams, and his ambitions were now gone—swept away in an instant. They were more than gone, they were dead and buried. His race was essentially over—and he had barely cleared the starting blocks.
 
Joseph couldn't have known it at the time, but this chapter of his life would last for thirteen years. During those years, at various intervals, he would be exhausted, humiliated, perplexed, and scared spitless.
 
At times, he had to wonder if he would survive. All his plans for life had fallen apart, utterly uprooted and demolished by the hateful actions of the very men who should have loved him and stood by him. His own brothers had plotted together to ruin his life.
 
But overshadowing the plan of his brothers was the plan of God.
 
Real and threatening, devastating and chaotic, the storms of life sometimes leave us wondering if we will even survive the day. Yet we do survive, to face the storm again the next day. Some storms are brief, flitting off our radar screens in a matter of hours or even minutes. A cloud passes in front of the sun, plunging the world into shadow, and then the sun shines through again, and life returns to normal.
 
Joseph’s storm was thirteen years in duration.
 
And none of it made sense until he got through it.
 
Once he got through to the other side, he could look back over the events of those horrific years and see so clearly the well-ordered plan of almighty God. But when he was in that storm, it seemed like his life had spun completely out of control.
 
Perhaps that’s the way you feel about your life right now. The needle is in the red zone, and events seem completely out of control. And if the truth were to be known, you agree with Churchill’s evaluation of his life. That’s right where you are.

My life is over—but it is not yet ended.

—Steve Farrar

Steve Farrar is the author of many books, including the best-sellers Point Man and Finishing Strong, with his new book Battle Ready: Be Strong and of Good Courage in These Troubled Times soon to be released. Learn more at SteveFarrar.com