The 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 am reminded today that storms come and go, but there is One who is always constant. Checking through Facebook this afternoon, I saw a post from my father-in-law about storms. It provoked me to think. I thought about Peter in Matthew 14:28 when he says, “Lord, if it truly is You, command me to come to You on the water.” Little did Peter know that he would actually walk on water as His Master, Jesus, did. But, the story doesn’t start there. Look at Matthew 14:24….it says, “But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.” This astounds me! Peter, in verse 29 begins to walk on the water, but the amazing thing was the fact that when Peter stepped out of the boat, his eyes were on one thing and one thing only – Jesus. His eyes were so fixed upon Jesus that he forgot about the storms around him!
Let me say it again, storms come and go, but Jesus is forever constant! I was 13 years old when my parents got a divorce. Sure, I could of gone wild and crazy, but thank the Lord for saving my life and choosing me in the middle of a storm. Little did I know that the storm I was going through at age 13 would one day prepare me for my future that God had for me. I remember night after night, sitting in my room by myself, had a Bible somewhere, but was too lazy to go get it. I would lay in my bed and turn on MercyMe’s album called “Almost There.” I didn’t have podcasts on my phone (because I had no phone), I didn’t have a preacher with me to tell me what to do, but I did have the Presence of God with me…and that’s all that mattered.
Thank God for storms, because teach us how to worship Him! If you are in a storm today, do not worry. We serve the God who calms storms by His very words. Just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, we serve the God who walks with us through the fire. He doesn’t just get us out of the fire, but He gives us what we need to get through the fire. Praise be to God, for His mercies endureth forever!
“What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?” – Romans 8:31
“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.” – Psalm 34:17-20
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9
“He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.” – Psalm 107:29
“The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.” – Proverbs 18:10
