Prepare Now for Unexpected Turbulence and Resisting Sexual Temptation

I traveled recently to sunny California on a day with absolutely beautiful weather. From Philadelphia’s crisp autumn air, through the open skies of the Midwest and making our way westward, blue and storm-less skies enveloped our plane. Peaceful! But, you may wonder, what does a smooth flight have to do with resisting sexual temptation?

Just as I received a cup of hot coffee and another of cold water, unexpected turbulence hit. As the plane rattled and rocked, I desperately managed to hold one cup in each hand. I gazed intently at the sloshing liquids while I sought to keep them steady, hoping to not make a mess or embarrass myself. Ever been there?

Our plane hit “clear air turbulence,” defined by the Federal Aviation Administration as “sudden severe turbulence occurring in cloudless regions that causes violent buffeting of aircraft.”^[1]

I mean, what’s not to like about unexpected, “severe” jostling that causes “violent buffeting” of the mode of transportation you’re dependent upon . . . at 30,000 feet above ground?!

What Is Unexpected Turbulence?

Unexpected turbulence hits our lives in all kinds of ways. It can prompt temptations and emotional knee jerk reactions—and it can lead to sin. Even amid long stretches of resisting sexual temptation’s pull toward things like porn, an unholy relationship, and various sexual behaviors, a surprise jostling can threaten our resolve if we’re not prepared. Can you relate to any of these:

• A bomb drops at work (after a recent positive performance review), and suddenly you have an urge to look at porn after months of resisting.
• Your spouse explodes for no reason, it seems, and you’d just had a beautiful and intimate conversation earlier in the day. Scrolling social media (including former lovers’ pages) consumes you into the night.
• A meeting you’d worked hard to prepare for goes sideways. Overwhelmed by disappointment, you head home and grab the bottle of wine or bag of chips (maybe both), after a long season of moderation.

Resisting Sexual Temptation by Preparing Now

God’s Word helps us prepare now for encounters with suffering, which are most likely on the horizon. When these areas of unexpected turbulence hit, they will jostle us. For help resisting sexual temptation, consider these four things from Psalm 57 to pray through when turbulence strikes.

1. Cry Out to God Most High

David is on the run from Saul, hiding in a cave, jostled and fearful as he feels like one “in the midst of lions” and “fiery beasts” (Ps. 57:4). He had previously sought refuge in the Lord and experienced his faithful deliverance from danger (see 1 Samuel 16–17), and so as he hunkers down in the cave, he remembers to lament to the One who can save him.

Friend, study and meditate on God’s Word NOW. Pray that when an unexpected, painful event hits your life, your first response will be to pour out your heart to the Lord, who is Most High. He is higher and more powerful than any storm; he is, in fact, in control of it and has allowed it to enter your life.

2. Seek Refuge in God When the Storm Hits

David’s choice of words helps us. “Storm of destruction”  refers to an “engulfing ruin, destruction, calamity.”^[2]

God knows that our familiar and dangerous false comforts—the sand-castle refuges of our own making—can quickly come to mind in the pain of the storm and the fear-provoking shaking that accompanies turbulence. He knows that human weakness can lead us to think only of ourselves and forget the impact of sinful, selfish choices. Can you imagine what would have happened had I just tossed my cups of water and coffee away from me?

3. Wait by Faith in Him

I’ve hunkered down in a basement more than a few times when tornadoes, hurricane-force winds, or pelting hail threatened my safety. There was nothing else to do. I had no power to stop the wind, rain, or baseball-sized hail (true story) from coming down out of the sky. And I had zero control over the “violent buffeting” of the plane carrying me to my hoped for destination.

Yet I could cry out in my soul. I could remember that I was IN Christ while I happened to be in that plane. I wasn’t alone in my helplessness or vulnerability that day, though thousands of feet above the ground. I was solidly anchored in the Lord’s hand. Was I nervous? Yes! Did I do what I could to steady those cups? Yes! Praying, holding, hoping, trusting that I was held . . . I waited with and on him through the unexpected turbulence.

4. Rehearse God’s Promises and Rest in His Purposes for Your Life

“…God who fulfills his purpose for me. He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me. God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!” (Ps. 57:2b, 3)

Sisters and brothers, when you’re taken off guard by unsettling news, a scary diagnosis, a harsh disappointment, or any form of unexpected turbulence, your Rescuer is near. He is right there in the storm with you.

And when you respond by going back to familiar false refuges, his forgiveness and strengthening comfort are still yours! Resisting sexual temptation includes rehearsing your Lord’s mercy to you. His purposes will prevail even still—to make you more like Jesus for his glory and your rest.

“In the storm the tree strikes deeper roots in the soil; in the hurricane the inhabitants of the house abide within, and rejoice in its shelter. So by suffering the Father would lead us to enter more deeply into the love of Christ . . . Dear Christian, in affliction abide in Christ. When you see it coming, meet it in Christ; when it is come, feel that you are more in Christ than in it, for He is nearer you than affliction ever can be; when it is passing, still abide in Him.”^[3]

Father, I pray for those who are discouraged and weary, as storms of pain rage. Cause them to hear you calling out to come home, to nestle in the “shadow of your wings” (Ps. 57:1) and to praise and give thanks because your love is steadfast, never ceasing nor failing (vv. 5–11). Give courage Lord, till the storms of destruction pass by. Amen.

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^[1]  Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular on Clear Air Turbulence Avoidance, https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_00-30C.pdf, Oct. 3, 2024.

^[2] https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h1942/kjv/wlc/0-1/, October 8, 2024.

^[3] Andrew Murray, Abide in Christ, “In Affliction and Trial,” NavPress: 2019, 69–70 https://www.amazon.com/Abide-Christ-Andrew-Murray/dp/1641582243, November 6, 2024