Title: Lessons from a typhoon
1. Every summer, we experience typhoons.
When a typhoon blows, it causes a lot of damage to us. Judy, Eggnas, Diner, Betty, Sarah, June, Gladys, Janice, Selma, etc. These are the names of the 10 major typhoons that caused great damage to our country.
Among them, we still remember the great damage suffered when Typhoon Ho struck.
Typhoons are accompanied by heavy rains, causing road loss, flooding of houses, ruining agriculture, and damage to human life. It is said to be a destruction equivalent to the power of any atomic bomb.
So no one wants a typhoon to blow.
Typhoons strike us while unpredictable.
No one can stop these typhoons.
Typhoons cannot be stopped by human power.
Because it is the hand of God's providence of nature.
Typhoons seem to inflict a lot of damage and suffering on us on the surface, but from a natural and ecological perspective, typhoons also bring benefits that cannot be evaluated in money. Typhoons are typhoons that bring about great innovation to the seas, rivers, and natural worlds that have been immersed in all kinds of dirt. Therefore, we should learn the wisdom of life through this typhoon and use it as a lesson for spiritual growth.
Unexpected typhoons strike everyone in our human lives.
An uncontrollable typhoon strikes the quiet and happy family.
The representative figure in the Bible was
He was a righteous man in the East, wealthy, and the father of ten children and many happy children. He was a man respected by many. He had a happy day with no problems.
But a raging typhoon hits him that he can't tell.
A series of misfortunes erupted in the peaceful family.
Enemies attack and take away the large herd of cattle and sheep.
10 siblings are slaughtered at once because their house collapsed due to a typhoon.
Not only that, but I have bad sores in my body and I can't sleep at night.
Everyone was startled and tried to comfort him, but there was no way to comfort him.
Friends from afar come to hear the rumors.
There was nothing to comfort me when I saw it so much. Perhaps it was because of some sin that you have committed such calamity and pain. It was so painful that she now cursed her birthday and appealed to God to save her life. My wife even complained to God and told her to die. However, Job did not change his faith in the midst of this. "this
In all things Job did not sin, nor did he murmur foolishly against God” (Job 1:22).
2. What, then, are the benefits of typhoons?
① Typhoons overturn rivers and seas, completely eliminating the severe algal blooms.
② Typhoons wash away rotten filth from rivers and clean up all kinds of dirt.
③ Typhoons purify the sea water and supply oxygen to the sea to live in the sea.
④ Typhoons circulate the atmosphere and bring clean air.
⑤ Typhoons destroy poor construction and repair buildings, bridges and roads.
In order for this natural ecosystem to survive, typhoons must blow.
But when a typhoon strikes, we do not have this thought.
You will be resentful of the sky in the huge wah and fruit that you can see right away.
Sometimes, there are many cases where we get lost and give up on ourselves.
The same is true in our spiritual life.
It means that the storms of life are beneficial for our spiritual growth and our clean and pure faith.
3. Then, what are the spiritual lessons to be learned through the typhoon?
Two facts should be clearly noted.
1) Typhoons are bound to happen unexpectedly in life.
Why did this happen to those who believe in Jesus?
Why do such unfortunate things happen to those who go to church?
People say that when we, believers, face any kind of hardship.
Also, I don't want to hear such gazes and words, so I don't even come to church.
Especially among church members, there are many cases where they see it from that perspective.
In such a case, like Job, we too should refrain from speaking foolishly against God.
In some ways, it may be the hand of God's providence.
Take a look around us these days.
On the contrary, there are many cases where they are unable to enter the world of faith because they are people who can live without any problems financially or healthily.
I heard someone say this.
Even if I look around the world, I have heard that Qi is the best, and that it is the most convenient and good country to live in as long as you have money. I've also heard that if you have money, you can pluck out tiger nose hairs, and that's our society.
What can't they do?
So, what kind of church would you like to go to and worship God?
Therefore, there are many cases where you cannot escape the temptation of sin by living quietly and without problems.
But life doesn't always have clear and quiet days.
When we are caught up in a typhoon, there are trials and pains that are difficult to bear.
These may bother and trouble me right now, but they give me an opportunity to change my life direction, my values, and my spiritual life.
There are people who were hit by the typhoon of life's hardships when they were young, there are people who hit it when they were young, or there are people who were hit in their old age or in their old age.
However, one thing we need to know is not to be discouraged when we are hit by a typhoon. Because through this typhoon, my faith and personality mature.
And because we know the meaning of suffering, our spiritual eyes will be opened so that we can be together with our neighbors who are in the same suffering. Because it is an expensive treasure that money cannot buy.
2) It must be remembered that there is always a clear sky after a typhoon.
“That the trial of your faith, more precious than gold that perishes, even though it is tried by fire, may be found to be praise, glory, and honor at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”
Dear saints!
If you look at the recently published books, there are many books about 'success'.
Statistics show that there are over 1,000 titles with the word “Success” in it. 'Successful People', 'The 7 Habits of Successful People', 'The Way to Success in Change' and 'Successful Leaders', etc. It is our wish for all of us to be successful. But why do so many people fail rather than succeed?
Success requires knowing how to manage failure, because you don't know how to manage failure.
Please try to understand the original meaning of the word success (成功).
Success means achieving your goals.
Conversely, failure means doing something wrong.
Therefore, and are equal to the two sides of a coin.
When it fails, it's important to look at why it didn't.
That way you don't repeat failures.
That is why today's text also says, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes."
Suffering means learning the truth of God's Word through a typhoon.
The same goes for and Iran.
Everyone wants happiness. However, there are many cases where we cannot be happy because we do not know how to manage unhappiness. When a typhoon blows, not everything comes to an end. Behind the typhoon, there is a clearer sky, and the eyes must be opened to see that there is a clear day. What is that? That is the eye of faith.
That is the spiritual eye.
If you open your spiritual eyes even in the midst of hardship, you will be able to see a higher world.
People make more failures than successes in life.
Because living in the world itself does not happen according to what I plan and pursue.
This is because everything is accomplished in God's eternal purpose and plan. So he foresaw this.
What did he say in the hurricane of misfortune when it hit him?
“But he knows the way I go, and after he has tried me I will come forth as gold” (Job 23:10).
There is this story in the book 'The Fountain of Life' by Kafman.
One day, Kaufman saw a caterpillar break through the shell of a cocoon and emerge as a butterfly. The caterpillar will do its best to come out. Kafman thought how tough this caterpillar would be, so he cut the cocoon's shell with scissors to help. Butterflies could come out very easily. But even after a long time passed, the butterfly could not fly. Kafman, who looked closely at this scene, realized later and regretted it. how much he was trying to help
I knew it was wrong.
It was because they did not know that the caterpillars would gain the strength of their legs and wings by struggling so hard to come out. Suffering in our lives today is just like this.
Only what is gained through suffering is valuable, precious, and eternal.
Dear saints!
The typhoon will blow again this summer.
No matter when or what type of typhoon blows, we must realize that the ecosystem is renewed through typhoon, and prepare in advance so that we do not get frustrated even in the midst of typhoon.
In the newspapers, I heard a report that the dike, which was destroyed by a typhoon last year, has not been properly restored. That's the problem. Why did you continue to be unprepared even after suffering so much loss of life and property and then start worrying again?
I heard the reason why you said you don't have a budget. It is said that the budget did not come down on time. But isn't there a case where the public money of the country has leaked to other places? That's the problem.
This is also true spiritually.
We'll have to look at ourselves after failing once or twice.
And you will have to realize the truth of the Word.
“The trial of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes, even though it is tried by fire, may be found in praise, glory, and honor at the appearing of Jesus Christ.”
Are any of you on the podium right now?
Anyone caught in a typhoon right now?
Please look forward to the clear skies that will come after this typhoon. And I hope you don't speak foolish words with your lips like Job did. I hope you have the assurance that "After you have trained yourself, I will come out like gold." ♣