A Strong Storm
Strong is the storm of temptation.
The winds whip. The waves roll. The rains pour. All to get you to slip from the deck of the ship that is your Trust in the Grace of God. Will your Faith outlast the storm?
When in the midst of temptation, you are rocked by the sea. By imaginings and images that may not be of your own but by the demons who pull your memories and combine them with pleasurable thoughts to wound you. You are surrounded in this moment, by all the enemies of God it seems, as the demons bombard and destroy, tormenting, begging your mind to ease its woes, to reduce its sufferings, and to achieve its magnificent pleasure… or at least, these are the lies that they tell you to suck you further into the void of despair and the destruction of your own soul - at a relieving pleasure that comes at a price. A terrible swift price. A faithless price where the evil means had achieved an end.
Thus, stand tall. War against the sea. Hold fast to the mast of the ship. Though the temptation and the time of trial seems never ending, and that you will not last through the storm, hold fast to God. For there is good news: the trials will cease. They are not eternal. And for the longer you are tried, the longer God will grant you peace according to what you have suffered, but only when the temptation and the wicked time of trial is over.
Though the fire of your mind beg for the tortures to cease and your flesh to release, hold fast to the grace of God. Rely on Him. Stay True to Him and do not give into the waves. For the sea will quell. But not yet. Your temptings are for a purpose. And a peace will come. No storm lasts forever. Do not let the winds drag you into the sea. Stand tall. Do not let the rains cause you to slip. Stand strong. Do not let the waves wobble you off your perilous course. Stand brave. Your head to God. To the heavens beyond the heavens. The heavens beyond the storm, and alas, your peace will come after your pain. And your pain, which you must fear not to suffer, will bring Glory to God!
The reason why temptation is necessary is for this purpose: to try and make True your Faith in the Grace of God. And the reason you are tempted now more than ever is because a greater Faith is required in a clamorous world where the vices rage. God expects more Trust from you, and the Devil cries for you to stop.
You cannot fight the storm with your fists - there is no good in punching the wind. No, you can only endure it. Yet your feet may ache - your heart and that weakness may cause you to slip. But you must heal. How? Trust. The only answer. Forget your pain and entrust it to Him. Then, in no time, you will use the wind and the waves to forward you to your destination. With a Lighthouse to guide you on to victory! To the shore! Hold that mast strongly, stronger than the storm, under your arm. And bring the demons to the heel of the rocks on which the great and gold Lighthouse rests. And then, when the demons’ heads are crushed and when the Light from the golden house has encompassed your soul and led you to the calm safety in consolation, the storm will cease.