Perhaps you’ve seen the movie The Perfect Storm, or you’ve heard the term before. Wikipedia defines the perfect storm as a confluence of events that drastically aggravates a situation. In other words, it’s a storm of epic proportions, a storm that is so bad, it feels like you won’t survive.
Do you sometimes feel like you’re in the middle of a perfect storm? Have you ever felt like you were surrounded on all sides, with no escape in sight? Personal battles; physical battles; spiritual battles? These all make up the perfect storm. But there is a way out.
During these battles, we need to be like King Hezekiah. In Isaiah, Hezekiah had to deal with his own perfect storms. He could have tried to take matters into his own hands, but he had learned to turn to God in times of distress.
In Isaiah 37, Hezekiah was told of some very bad news. His response?
When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the LORD (Isaiah 37:1 NIV).
Putting on sackcloth was a sign of mourning, repentance and humiliation. (Are we willing to go that far?) Later, when King Hezekiah received a letter from Sennacherib, pretty much forcing his hand, Hezekiah kept his faith in God.
Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD (Isaiah 37:14–15 NIV).
He spread it before the Lord. We, too, need to spread our cares and concerns before God.
God’s response to Hezekiah was a direct answer to his prayer:
Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Because you have prayed to me concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria, this is the word the LORD has spoken against him (Isaiah 37:21–22a NIV).
It goes on to mention all that God was going to do concerning Sennacherib; then God’s plans were carried out. So, whenever you are in the midst of your own perfect storm, don’t try to take matters into your own hands. If you do, you will most definitely sink into the waters of despair. Instead, lay all your cares before God, and watch Him carry out His plan for you. When you give it over to God, something wonderful happens:
***Clouds part . . . waves become calm . . . smooth sailing.***
Debbie Mitchell