“He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.” (Psalm 135:7 NIV)
The natural wind is the motion or flow of air or other gases that compose the atmosphere of the Earth. God created the atmosphere around the Earth to sustain life. It is comprised of 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen and 1% of other gasses.
There are many kinds of winds and currents in the atmosphere affected by the temperatures of land and sea. They create high and low atmospheric pressures that can result in numerous storms in varying degrees of intensity.
The natural winds of the Earth are a type and shadow of the various facets of God moving in the supernatural realm. The direction of the natural winds represents spiritual seasons and movements of the Holy Spirit on earth. One example of this is in the book, Song of Songs, where the bride calls out for the north and south winds to come and purify her life so that the sweet fragrance of the Beloved (aka Jesus!) would flow out to the nations
“Awake, O north wind, and come, O south! Blow upon my garden, that its spices may flow out. Let my beloved come to his garden and eat of its pleasant fruits.” (Song 4:16 NIV)
The Four Winds of Heaven
Jesus said to a crowd:
“When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, “It’s going to rain,’ and it does. And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot’… How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?” (Luke 12:54-56 NIV)
The four winds of Heaven are seen in Ezekiel’s “dry bones” prophecy, “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live” (Ezekiel 37:9), as well as from Daniel’s vision of the “four winds of heaven churning up the great sea” (Daniel 7:2-3). They are winds blowing in all directions.
The North Wind
The North Wind brings unpleasant weather, with violent storms, hail, thunder, and lightning. It represents times of adversity, disappointment, and emptiness in the Christian’s life. It can also represent a season when the Holy Spirit brings discipline, correction, pruning and death to areas of the flesh. This season can be like a cold, harsh northern winter as the Christian learns to embrace the Cross.
Just as the wind clears away clouds that block the Sun and the pollution in the air, the North Wind brings cleansing and clears away the barriers and pollution of sin so that the majesty of God can be displayed as He prepares the way for a season of new growth. It can take the hardening of a cold north wind to produce a great and mature harvest.
The South Wind
The South Wind brings the summer heat that will ripen and sweeten the harvest. It represents the quiet comfort of the Holy Spirit (Job 37:17). It is a season of warmth, contentment, prosperity, and refreshment, which leads to growth and pleasure.
“When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their desire, putting out to sea, they sailed close by Crete.” (Acts 27:13 NIV)
However, God can change the wind at a moment’s notice.
“But not long after, a tempestuous head wind arose, called Euroclydon. So when the ship was caught, and could not head into the wind, we let her drive.” (Acts 27:14-15 NIV
The East
The East Wind, also called “Euroclydon,” blows in from the desert with sandstorms and blazing heat. It represents difficult times and a season in the wilderness (Genesis 41:27-29).
The East Wind also comes as a refining fire. In the book of Exodus, the East Wind is shown creating the seven years of famine, yet it also parted the waters of the Red Sea so that the Israelites could escape.
The West Wind
The West Wind brings the winter rains essential to agriculture. In summer the West Wind brings relief from the summer heat. It represents seasons of spiritual refreshing and renewal. It also speaks of seasons of provisions, refreshment (rain), an answer to prayer and harvest. It brings blessings, breakthroughs, and great fruitfulness at the sunset of each day (Numbers 11:31, 1 Kings 18:44-45).
The prophet Joel spoke of "abundant showers, both autumn, and spring rains,” when God would “pour out the Spirit on all people” (Joel 2:23, 28 NIV).
In the Exodus story, the East Wind brought the locust plague upon Egypt. However, when the Pharaoh repented, it was the West Wind that carried the locusts away into the sea.
“And the LORD turned a very strong west wind, which took the locusts away and blew them into the Red Sea. There remained not one locust in all the territory of Egypt.” (Exodus 10:19 NIV)
Living life as a fully devoted lover of God doesn’t mean a person will be excluded from the storms of life. Each of the four winds represents seasons and times of change that will happen in every Christian’s life while living on this planet in its present form – some may seem bad, and most will be good – but they all will be used to help draw the beloved Bride closer to the Groom.
Embracing the Eye of the Storm
Since the moment I willingly chose to give my life to Jesus and become a Christian, I have continued to experience an ever-deepening holy dissatisfaction with spiritual mediocrity. That has been the primary impetus for me to earnestly desire to draw closer to God’s majesty - yearning for more of His glory. Over the years of truly desiring to seek more of Jesus, I have experienced many storms.
Tragic events, the effects of sickness and disease, and the death of loved ones have brought times of sensing terrible loneliness that cut to the very core of my being. Doubts have come, flooding my heart and mind like a raging storm that caused me to question my beliefs and faith in God. The whirlwinds of catastrophic events have sent me spinning and made me dizzy - as if out of control - so often that it was extremely difficult to find emotional and spiritual equilibrium
My daily walk has at times felt like I was treading water and going nowhere. The call of God on my life seemed only an ancient echo. There has been intense pain from the feelings of rejection, betrayal, disappointment, fear, insecurity, and abandonment. God has sometimes felt hidden and a billion miles away.
Even when things appeared to be going well, there were times of puzzling darkness.
Throughout my life, it has often seemed as if a dark cloud hovered overhead and blocked out the warmth and light of His beauty. The Bible felt dry, and the heavens were as brass. I had become disillusioned, discouraged, depressed, and frustrated. What has brought me some solace through the years is the fact that I am not alone in my experience. The prophet Amos spoke of this very thing
“Is not the day of the LORD darkness, and not light? Is it not very dark, with no brightness in it?” (Amos 5:20 20 NKJV)
The Psalmist also wrote about his own experience with this when he wrote:
“How long, O Lord?" Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?” (Psalm 13 KJV)
These questions have perplexed the human heart for centuries. God can often seem hidden in times of trouble and pain. One day in prayer about the problems around me I heard these words in my mind – Embrace the eye of the storm! Well, that was certainly unexpected, so I decided to do some investigating. What I learned gave me another glimpse into the ways of God, and I will share some of it with you.
The Whirling Winds
When two air currents from opposite directions meet, a circular motion results called a whirlwind. A whirlwind is a weather phenomenon in which a vortex of wind - a vertically oriented rotating column of air - forms due to instabilities and turbulence created by heating and air current variations. Whirlwinds can be seen all over the world and in any season.
A major whirlwind (such as a tornado) is formed from supercell thunderstorms (the most powerful type of thunderstorm), or other powerful storms and last longer than others. When the storms start to spin, they react with other high altitude winds, causing a funnel to spin. A cloud forms over the funnel, making it visible.
Minor whirlwinds are formed by winds that do not last long. When a minor whirlwind on land hits something (a building, a house, a tree, etc.) on its journey, its rotation is interrupted, as is the wind flowing into it, causing it to dissipate.
Throughout the Bible, whirlwinds indicate the power and might of God. He is most often found IN the storm: "God hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm" (Nahum 1:3); He "answered Job out of the whirlwind" (Job 38:1). Elijah "went up by a whirlwind into heaven" (2 Kings 2:11).
The Eye of the Storm
The "eye" is a circular area with comparatively light winds, and fair weather found at the center of rotation of a whirlwind. It is the calmest part. Surrounding the eye is the eyewall. It is almost a complete ring and contains the strongest and most violent winds.
Because the whirlwind is spinning there is a perceived outward force. This centrifugal force prevents the winds from entering the center eye of the whirlwind. The winds blow as close to the center of the storm as they can and form the eyewall.
The way the eye and eyewalls are formed is not fully understood. Some scientists speculate that the eye feature is a fundamental component to all rotating fluids.
Hundreds of theories exist as to the exact process by which the eye forms. However, all that is known is that the eye is necessary for storms to achieve their intensity and strong wind speeds. The eye can be covered by thick, dense, and dark clouds. The stronger the storm, the stronger the eye is.
Research done by NASA has suggested that the seemingly subtle movement of updrafts within the eye of the storm provides the energy to keep the storm functioning. This research suggests that in addition to providing lift, the updrafts also feed high-energy air from the low-level eye into the eyewall, boosting the strength of the updrafts.
The Coriolis Effect
When storms are the most intense, they begin to go through eyewall replacement cycles. In one documented case three eyewalls were seen. Some of the most intense storms exhibit multiple concentric eyewalls at the circulation center of the storm.
Scientists have observed that there are storms in the heavens. It has been theorized that the turbulence of a storm plays a critical role in creating the perfect conditions for the birth of planets.
Studies suggest that, within the quiet eye of the cosmic storm, dust can collect and get trapped, seeding the beginnings of planet formation because the turbulent forces (eyewalls) around the eye keep the dust and gas swirling and prevent them from forming a dense and thin enough layer for gravitational instability to occur. The crucial force that causes the turbulence of a storm is called the Coriolis Effect.
A Mystery Revealed
When the storms of life rise up and begin pulling a person under, when the whirlwinds of trial and tribulation begin to blow - when the desert wilderness is all around, we must learn to reach deep into the storm if we are to enter the peaceful place of His presence – the eye of the storm - so that we can gaze upon the beauty of Jesus as they are lifted gently towards Heaven.
The triune God is like the Coriolis Effect in the eye of a storm. He will use the turbulence of the storm to birth fresh revelation, ministry, and anointing. God is hidden deep in the middle of the whirlwind and the storms of life. He chose the eye of the storm as His dwelling place so;
“that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:27-28 NIV)
The truth is that the eye of the storm is within every Christian because they are His dwelling place. The whirlwinds of change within the storms of life and desert experiences are to draw us into His intimate presence. Someone once described intimacy as "in-to-me-see" because, as a person turns more inward in times of prayer and meditation to focus on Jesus, He will reveal more of Himself to us and His thoughts will become our thoughts.
The Wilderness
Not all of the storms of life have whirlwinds. Some are as dry and still as the desert wilderness.
“Prior to Jesus beginning His ministry He went to the river Jordan to be baptized. As the Holy Spirit descended on Him the Father said; “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22).
THEN, the Father led Him into the wilderness! Too often desert experiences are thought of as punishment because of disobedience or personal sin. The Father sent Jesus into the desert because He was pleased with Him! There are times He will do the same with us because He is also pleased with us!
Jesus went 40 days without food for His flesh, but He was satisfied with “living water” to drink. He spent His time in the desert in deep communion with the Father in preparation for His ministry. In the wilderness, one finds that the true food which brings nourishment and satisfies the soul is the Word and His promises.
Periods spent in the desert are to bring us to a deeper reliance and trust in Jesus because there are no distractions. A journey through the wilderness may be for 40 days or 40 years! God wants us there because it is a place where deep romance - a holy honeymoon - exists between bride and Groom;
"Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her.” (Hosea 2:14 NIV)
The nourishment and strength for preparation always come in the desert. The Apostle John, while He was exiled to the prison island of Patmos, received His revelation. Revelation always comes in exile. When Jesus releases a person from the wilderness, they will be filled to minister with the power of the resurrection and the might of His majesty
Clouds of Darkness
Where God dwells, “Clouds and darkness surround Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne” (Psalm 97:2 NKJV). The prophet Ezekiel described the glory as coming from within a storm “from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually and a bright light around it, and in its midst something like glowing metal in the midst of the fire" (Ezekiel 1:4 NIV).
When you find clouds of darkness forming over you in the midst of a storm, you shouldn’t be dismayed, but rather, you should rejoice for you are nearing "the secret place of the Most High” (Psalm 91:1 KJV).
The storms of life that twist and turn through the wilderness will lead you to the secret place of intimacy with Him so that you can behold His beauty. God will draw near, and His glory will completely overwhelm you just as the priests who “could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.” (1 Kings 8:10-11 NKJV)
Water Wonders
One day after Jesus finished a time of teaching He directed the Disciples to get into a boat and cross the lake of Gennesaret, a distance of about ten miles, and head to Capernaum and Bethsaida. He told them that He would catch up with them later.
As they were about halfway across the lake, sometime late in the night between the hours of 3:00 AM and 6:00 AM, the disciples saw Jesus walking towards them on the water and “they were terrified."…"It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid" (Matthew 14:25-33 NIV).
The Apostle Peter was so overjoyed to hear His voice and see Jesus that he was willing to do anything to be with Him. "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." Jesus said to him, "Come."
As He gazed upon Jesus, nothing else mattered. Peter was able to do the impossible - he broke the natural law of gravity and “got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.”
But then, logic began to take over and Peter started to think about himself, and his “senses” kicked in as he “felt” the force of the wind and the tossing of the waves against his feet.
“..He was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.” (Matthew 14:31 NIV)
The fear of the unknown had overwhelmed him. The turbulent waves and stormy winds of the world had caused him to lose focus. Jesus said, "You of little faith,"… "why did you doubt?" Peter’s circumstances had caused him to forget that the gentle voice of the Master could calm any storm. Jesus took hold of Peter and they climbed together into the boat. This event so amazed the other Disciples that they worshipped Jesus saying, "Truly you are the Son of God" (Matthew 14:25-33 NIV).
Fly like an Eagle
Everyone who is born of the Holy Spirit moves mysteriously like the wind.
“You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagle's wings and brought you to Myself.” (Exodus 19:4 NIV)
Eagles use the winds and turbulence of the air to soar with little effort. They have mastered the ability to ride the whirlwinds that come from every direction gracefully. God wants us to learn to move with the wind just like the Eagle.
To master flying on the turbulent winds of change it requires that you “wait on the LORD,” then He can “renew" your "strength” so that you can “mount up with wings like eagles,”…“run and not be weary”…“walk and not faint” (Is 40:31). The Holy Spirit will give the anointing to fly like an eagle.
Breaking Through
The new life in Christ has been firmly built on the rock-solid foundation of Jesus and cannot be destroyed by whirlwinds and the storms of circumstances (Matthew 7:24-27 NIV).
A new and positive attitude will emerge when the choice is made to break through the turbulent eyewall of the whirlwind and enter into God’s place of peaceful rest by embracing the eye of the storm and seeing the desert wilderness as a place of preparation. The determination to do this must be decided in the heart.
Peace is a state of mind. "To be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:6 NIV). When your “heart and mind” is set on God - and He is in control of your life - He guards you (Philippians 4:7). It doesn’t matter how much turmoil and calamity is all around; your life can have an inner calm that passes all human understanding.
If a person is truly a Christian, then God dwells (stays) in them by taking up residence. They take up residence in Him and dwell in love. They are His dwelling place (1 John 4:15-16a). Jesus said that if a person abides in Him by staying in the state of actively trusting Him and His Word with great expectancy, they can ask “what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7-8 NKJV). He promises to keep the one who is actively trusting Him “in perfect peace” (Isaiah 26:3-4 NKJV).
The God of Peace
Getting through the storms of life and surviving in the desert is done by trusting God. Jesus is the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Walking daily in humility and trusting-faith is the way to embrace peace. The Holy Spirit produces it.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith…” (Galatians 5:22 NIV)
Calling upon the name of Jesus is the answer. He was given a name that has more authority and power than any other name, whether in Heaven, on earth or under the earth (Ephesians 1:20-23). With just one word He can calm the hardest of storms and bring rain to the desert (Mark 4:39).
In the book of Revelation four Angels are seen standing at the four corners of the Earth, holding back the four winds of the Earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or any tree so that the elect can gather together (Revelation 7:1).
The more intimate you become with Jesus, the "God of Peace," the more the peace of His presence will fill your life no matter how dry the place you find yourself in, or how intense the whirlwinds of a storm are around you (Romans 15:33). The proof of His presence is peace permeating all problems.
As you learn to embrace the eye of the storm, God’s peace will fill your heart, and you will enjoy peace with Him, peace with others, peace with the world, and peace within.
