The bending of a palm tree also demonstrates what our posture should look like in storms. We should bow down in worship, honoring God for who He is through our storms
The problem when facing storms is we tend to gaze at our circumstances and glance at our God, when we should gaze at our God and glance at our circumstances. Worship causes us to focus less on the problem and more on our Problem Solver
Like a palm tree that bends to the point where its leaves touch the ground, storms in our lives ought to bring us to our knees in prayer
Even the powerful ruler, King Hezekiah had enough sense to turn his face to the wall and cry out to God.
Hezekiah 38:1-5 In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.’”
2 Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the Lord, 3 and said, “Remember now, O Lord, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
4 And the word of the Lord came to Isaiah, saying, 5 “Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears;
When his back was against the wall, he didn’t rely on his own power, prestige, or possessions but on God to provide at his most desperate point of need
How to find strength through the storms, continued:
Reaching out and staying committed to our spiritual leaders and allowing them to speak into our lives and asking for prayer
Examining my own heart and life
Sometimes when we go through storms in our lives we must/need to take an inventory and inspection in our own life, Is there something in my life God wants me to clean up and restore? Is there something He wants me to throw away or is there something He wants me to start over new? Is there a relationship in my life that is toxic to me and causing me to stay in the storm? Surround myself with positive people and being honest with them Stay away from toxic people Sometimes we may have to “unfollow” people like we do on Facebook
If you’re married, stay in unity with your husband
Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. I Peter 3:7
Reaching out to others
Palm trees are able to produce fruit in different seasons and weather conditions. We must be fruitful even when we face storms.
Sometimes we will be called upon to help others even while we’re going through a storm ourselves. God sustains and strengthens us in these times and even provides us with His comfort as we comfort others
It’s not always all about us going through our own personal storms but reaching out to others. It will bring healing to our own lives when we give out to others.
Sometimes storms may not affect us but hit somewhere else. We need to be the ones to reach out to them and provide a safe place for them to get the help they need.
In 20005 Hurricane Katrina and the flood this past August did not affect us really but it did affect us in a powerful way
I remember during Katrina we opened up our church and we were working 7 days a week and we were becoming weary and we had only a few faithful ones that were serving with us at the time. But then the Body of Christ rose up in a powerful way and God began to send in more troops We were getting help from people as far away as Canada. We need others to come help minister to other Ladies your pastor and his wife need you to help serve. Sometimes it’s a simple card, phone call or text that will encourage someone
We need to be sensitive to others going through a storm. When others are going through the storms we need to get in our boats and go rescue others and bring them to a safe place.
I remember the August flood last year. We went out in our boat to rescue those who were only coming out with large black garbage bags and their animals. Talk about forgetting about your own self I remember coming home from the first night of helping someone clean out their flooded home and when I opened my door to my house feeling so thankful for a warm shower and dry bed. We had to help them clean out their home and help them see what they wanted to try and save and what needed throwing out Sometimes we need to help them in the spiritual way also if what to keep in their lives and what to throw out
Some storms are more intense than others, some come with no damage, some with minimal damage, and some cause mass destruction and devastation. Some storms we just ride out, some storms we just have little clean up, but some storms we have to tear down and just start over.
Sometimes we have to seek a safe place for those storms that will cause major destruction.
Psalm 18:2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Psalm 31:2 Bow down Your ear to me, Deliver me speedily; Be my rock of refuge, A fortress of defense to save me.
God brings us to a place of safety in the storm
In 1965 when Hurricane Betsy hit I was 7 years old. At the time, we lived in a small house with siding on piers. My dad didn’t know if our house would weather the hurricane so he packed us up and we went stay and my uncle and aunt's home that was newly built that was brick and on a slab. My dad did what he felt was best to protect us from the storm. I remember the storm hitting that night and hearing the wind and branches snap but felt secure in knowing my dad had brought us to a safe place. This is the same way our heavenly father treats us. He is our refuge and fortress during the storm A place we go to for safety, a place of trust and security even when we hear the winds and things uprooted outside, even when he knows we’re afraid He’s there with us
Preparation
Did you know that palm trees actually benefit from storms? As a result of being beaten down by hurricanes, monsoons or other types of storms their trunks grow stronger, they grow taller and more beautiful
We may not like storms but we must learn to embrace them. One of the primary ways God develops our character and purifies our motives is through pain Not only that, but consider this fact about palm trees. If the root system and trunk didn’t face storms- it wouldn’t be able to stay standing as is grows taller
Palms trees have amazing characteristics about them-- it’s no wonder the palm branches were used to symbolize victory or prosperity in the Bible
For example, when an army would return home from a battle, palm branches would be waved to celebrate the victory
But a far greater symbolic waving of palm branches occurred when Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Not fully aware of the symbolic significance of what they were doing, the people were waving palm branches in advance of Jesus’ victory over death, sin and the enemy when He died on the cross and rose from the grave.
Palm branches ought to remind us that as long as we have Christ we already have the victory. Paul reminds us in Romans 8:37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Where does my strength come from? My strength comes from the Lord
Psalm 18:32 It is God who arms me with strength,
And makes my way perfect.
Psalm 18:39 For You have armed me with strength for the battle;
You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
Next time you see a palm tree standing tall and straight know it has probably withstood some storms in its lifetime and is still standing waving its branches in the wind
God is using the storms in our lives to grow us and to be used for His glory. Storms are not here to stay but for us to get strengthened, get the victory and go and help someone else
My strength comes from the Lord but I have to seek Him for that Strength
Psalm 105:4 Seek the LORD and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
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