And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Mark 4:37
Life can be unpredictable. Things can be fine one moment and the next, the bottom falls out. One minute you can be enjoying fair weather and the next, you find yourself in the middle of a terrible and horrible storm. One phone call, one twenty-four-hour period of time, one doctor visit, one tick of the clock, and there you are, in the storm of your life.
Storms Happen to Good People - It has been the mistaken notion of many that if a person is faithful follower of Jesus, he or she is protected from the troubles of life. Everyone will have storms in life, no matter how “good” they are or how they live their lives. Trouble, tragedy, illness, and loss unfortunately touch our lives sometimes, and some people – good people – seem to get more than their fair share. This can cause us to question the goodness of God. We can’t wrap our minds around it when God doesn’t do something, we know He can do, such as heal an illness, protect a loved one, etc. It is beyond our human understanding but not beyond our ability to trust in God.
Storms Refocus us Toward Jesus - We need to be able to process chaos in order to handle it, and when storms come, we can be completely thrown into turmoil, unable to think clearly. We can’t process a thought through to completion, let alone our daily tasks. We lose our focus because when a storm comes, it comes to our hearts and minds too. Nothing feels right and it seems God doesn’t care. We know He is the Lord of our Life and hearts, so it is hard to understand why He allows the storm. This is when we have to choose fear or faith. When fear comes, faith is challenged. In the world we live in, fear comes easily, and it can replace faith if we let it.
God Always Hears Us When We Call on Him - The storms may rage around us loudly, but it will not cover the sound of our voices or silence the cry of our heart to God. He hears us. He sees us and knows everything we go through.
Storms Don’t Last Forever - In the middle of any battle, we don’t know when it will end. But Every storm loses its power; especially when the Creator calls for it to cease. In certain localities in this country and the world, as on the Sea of Galilee, a storm can brew within a matter of minutes and hurl its fury in torrents of rain, lightning flashes, and thunder. Then it’s over. Sometimes that is how the storms in life are. They come on swift and hard, out of nowhere, and then they are over. Other times they linger a little longer, the storm system seems to stall right over our heads. God is sovereign even over the storms and His purpose for our lives will not be affected by accidents, circumstances, illnesses, evil or storms. He works through everything in our lives to bring about His will.
It is always hardest when the storm rages and we don’t understand why. Sometimes it is not a comfort to us to just accept that God is sovereign, and He is in control. But He cares and He is doing something about the situation, even though we might not see it at the time. He is always working, and people are watching how we deal with our crises. Is God real in our lives? The Lord is true to His promises and He promises to take care of us. Let your storm be a testimony for someone else to trust His power in whatever storm comes.
Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
Isaiah 43:1–3
Isaiah 43:1–3
