Storms of Life

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.

Deuteronomy 31:6

I don’t know about you, but I love a good thunderstorm. I enjoy going outside at the first sign of a storm to sit on the back porch, watch the wind pick up, and listen to the sound of thunder rolling across the sky. 

Have you ever noticed after a big storm blows through often there is a mess of debris remaining? A big storm damaged the roof of my home several years ago. When the roofers came to remove the old roof, they found rotted wood underneath that needed to be replaced. I remember my mind shifting and comparing this situation to an emotional storm I was experiencing at the time. I felt the Lord was showing me in the physical realm how sometimes He allows storms in our lives to stir things up so that we can see what needs healing. The emotional storm going on in my life at the time allowed the “roof” of my heart to be removed so that I could see what was rotting on the inside.

Perhaps you are currently experiencing a storm in your life. I encourage you to stand firm as the wind blows around you. Allow God to use the experience to bring anything to the surface that needs cleansing and change. There were times during that particular storm in my life that I felt like the pain was so great I could no longer stand firm during it. I felt so weak. That is when I called upon trusted prayer warriors to pray for me and encourage me through God’s Word.

  

Storms will come and go in our lives. If we trust that He has allowed it to blow in for His purposes, then we can trust Him with the outcome. Our job is to be obedient in the midst of it and trust. Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). If you are experiencing a storm, use this as an opportunity to trust and believe that God has allowed it to blow into your life for His purposes. Do not try to understand all the “whys” but rather trust that God has allowed it to refine you and your situation.

Storms never last long. Stand firm and trust that you will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13). That is a promise we all share. Praise His Holy Name!

Carrie Wright