Home Uncategorized Riding On the Wings Of The Wind

Riding On the Wings Of The Wind

… He makes the clouds His chariot; He rides on the wings of the wind.1

The eastern zone of the United States has recently been plagued with several devastating hurricanes, the last two of which were practically back-to-back and which claimed several lives and wrecked tremendous havoc. The media continues to feature horrifying pictures of the aftermaths, stories of victims and survivors, and of rescue and reparation efforts which are ongoing even as this is written. Hurricanes, cyclones, tornadoes, typhoons and the like are storm systems of various magnitudes, speeds, foci, and originating locations and destinations (e.g., tropical versus non-tropical, land versus sea), etc. The bottom line is that they arise from unstable atmospheric systems and rising pressures which produce strong gusts of rain, wind (often both), and other climatic changes, resulting in actual or potential climactic disasters.

Hurricane Hacks

Nothing about natural disasters can be taken lightly. These events bring with them the somber reality of the frailty of life, and how in one (literal) fell swoop, an entire life or region can be decimated, and alongside of it, all the dreams, aspirations and investments there represented. The educated, intelligent, wealthy, famous, etc., are just as affected as their juxtaposing counterparts; no one is spared, and everything and everyone are brought to a level playing field. We can learn a lot from this reflection alone.

That said, as devastating as they are, hurricanes and other unstable atmospheric systems have some surprising benefits, the scientific explanations of which I will defer to the experts, but the spiritual parallels I would like to examine briefly here. In a recent time of prayer and subsequent Bible reading, the fourth chapter of the second book of Corinthians stirred in my heart, particularly verse 17; “We view our slight, short-lived troubles in the light of eternity. We see our difficulties as the substance that produces for us an eternal, weighty glory far beyond all comparison.”2 I jotted down the following in my prayer journal,

“Challenges are the raw material champions are made of and from. The latter are the direct products of the seemingly insurmountable former, forged in the furnace of affliction. These champions emerge as top-notch conquerors, having conquered the very things that countered their conquest!!”

This assertion gives us food for thought, because it suggests that the hurricanes and other storms of life can be categorized as challenges, a gross under-classification if there ever was one. At the risk of sounding trite or casual about a topic whose consequences can be catastrophic both naturally and spiritually, I want to underscore this truth with the following reasoning and biblical examples (cut and paste from a recent prayer meeting outline for the sake of time). Hurricanes and similar storms:

  1. Enable us to attain the previously impossible/unattainable (e.g. Peter walked on water —> Matthew 14:22-33)
  2. Enable the subjugation of natural laws in obeisance to the superior law of the Rhema Word of God (e.g. Peter walked on water when Jesus gave the Word to do so/the disciples and Jesus crossed over to the other side after calming the storm —> Mark 4:35-41)
  3. Propel and deliver us forward and toward our destination and destiny (e.g. Paul and the Euroclydon —> Acts 27:1-44)
  4. Propel and deliver us upward i.e., elevate us far above the storm (the eagle 🦅 – Isaiah 40:29-31)
  5. Serve as the propellants towards our victory and destiny. They were meant to take us out, but take us upwards & forward as we gain spiritual balance and leverage and effortlessly soar above them. (Romans 8:35-39; Isaiah 40:29-31)
  6. Take us to our desired haven/destination (Psalm 107:28)
  7. Allow the Lord to be known & magnified through mighty signs, wonders & deliverance (Paul on the island 🏝️ of Malta —> Acts 28:1-19; the disciples as the winds and waves ceased; the man with the legion of demons >> salvation of the entire region of Decapolis —> Mark 5:1-20)

God lovers are God’s offspring3 and are intended to replicate and rightly represent Him in this world.4 The hurricanes of life are no casual thing and are guaranteed to come,5 but He assures us of His abiding presence6 and victory7 in the midst of them8. He expects us to build our faith9 into gliding on the winds of the hurricanes/tempestuous circumstances of life to get to our heights of glory! By faith we are to subjugate and utilize those same storms that try to subjugate and define our lives and destinies! Those same storms can be used as the building blocks of greatness and triumphant trajectories.

In The Eye of the Storm

Meteorologists tell us that the eye of every storm is a region of mostly calm weather located at its center. It is surrounded by a system known as the eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms that contain the most severe weather and highest winds.10 My understanding of this is that no matter how fierce any storm is, there is always a calm center of gravity, a region of tranquility and safety. The trick is to pass through the surrounding eyewall to get to that place of serenity.11 Also notable is that hurricanes are a combination of smaller storms; usually a collusion of several colliding atmospheric threats. This suggests that storms are never simply about the persons going through them (as seen in the story of Jesus and His disciples crossing through the storm to rescue the legion-oppressed man on the other side of the lake); there are usually other, and often multiple, indirect targets. If the storm successfully takes out the arrowhead(s), it prevents subsequently crucial rescue operations.

Friend, I propose to you that God is in the eye of every storm, and if we remember that He rides on the wings of every gust of wind, no matter how menacing, we will rise and ride on those same wings, gliding onto safety and victory, for “in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him Who loved us!“12 We can face hurricane-like challenge in our lives (even while holding on for dear life or wisely running for cover), conquer them, and become agents of rescue for many. We can say to those hurricanes and their incendiaries with bold conviction:

“ … you planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good, as you see all around you right now – life for many people!” (MSG)

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives!”16 (NIV)

**For questions on how to get to know God personally, grow in your relationship with Him, or other inquiries, please email: [email protected]**

Bibliography

  1. Psalm 104:3b ↩︎
  2. 2 Corinthians 4:17 ↩︎
  3. Galatians 3:26 ↩︎
  4. 1 John 4:17; Psalm 82:6; John 10:33-36 ↩︎
  5. John 16:33; Job 5:6-7 ↩︎
  6. Hebrews 13:5-6; Deuteronomy 31:6-8 ↩︎
  7. 1 John 5:4; 4:4 ↩︎
  8. Isaiah 43:1-4; 41:10; Psalm 23:4 ↩︎
  9. Mark 11:22; Hebrews 4:1-3; Romans 10:17 ↩︎
  10. Eye (Cyclone). Wikipedia. Retrieved October 13th, 2024. ↩︎
  11. Psalm 46:1-5; Luke 21:9-11 ↩︎
  12. Romans 8:37 ↩︎
  13. Genesis 50:20 (MSG & NIV) ↩︎

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