Introduction

We all face ‘storms’, they are inevitable to life. What matters is how we prepare ourselves beforehand in order to live through them and emerge on the other side.

In each challenging situation we face, the test for us is the same: how will we stand? Only a full assurance of who our God is and who He has called us to be through Jesus’ blood will enable us to stand strong in Him as well as reach out an arm offering the certain hope of the gospel to others who are floundering.

These storms and challenges offer us real opportunities to shine the Light of Life we carry in our hearts. But it will not shine if our foundation is unstable and we do not know the nature, promises, character and faithfulness of our covenant-keeping God. These things are the true hope of the gospel the people around us need too.

Some years ago, I found a photograph of a lighthouse standing strong in the midst of an angry swirling sea. The waves were so high they reached half-way up the side of the building. When I looked more closely, I could see the lighthouse keeper standing in the doorway with his arms folded and every appearance of calm and peace. This image really spoke to me and since then I have been taken on a journey with God which I now share with you in Walking with God Through the Storm.

Please have a Bible or Bible app, and a notebook and pen, handy as you go through this devotional.

Sarah Winbow

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Storms are Inevitable

Read John 16:33; Luke 8:22-25.

The 1960’s singer Lynn Anderson once sang;

“I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden;
Along with the sunshine, there's gotta be a little rain sometime.”

Jesus warns us that whilst we live in this world, we must expect difficult, stormy times. I wish it were not true, but it is.

Everyday matters like health, food, money, jobs, housing and family relationships mean we all have to live with life’s storms.

In the natural world there are many different grades of storm, and this is also true for us in life. One person deals with the daily trials of caring for a loved one who, owing to dementia, is wandering the streets at night and constantly phoning the police. Meanwhile, a neighbour’s daughter arrives home to stay with nothing but a bag and her baby.

Another person has to deal with the sudden loss of a loved one or a staggeringly challenging health diagnosis. Whilst another struggles to cope with crippling anxieties, suicidal thoughts and a minimal level of self-confidence; a friend’s over-confidence means he thoughtlessly blunders into situations, stirring up unnecessary trouble and causing offence.

The peace of our life can be suddenly overturned as we have to make sense of, and live with, the result of sudden job loss, relationship breakdown, accidents, traumas, diagnoses or other people’s choices that impact our lives. Everyday matters like health, food, money, jobs, housing and family relationships mean we all have to live with life’s storms.

In everything we have a choice - either to let it overwhelm us and be damaged or broken by it, or to place our trust in God.

Of course, I do not know what particular storm you are facing or living through right now; but God does. It is not a surprise to Him and even though it may not feel like it, Jesus is with you; right in the centre of it with you. It is not the storm that is the issue, but your reaction to it that matters. In everything we have a choice - either to let it overwhelm us and be damaged or broken by it, or to place our trust in God.

The name Jesus, or Yeshua in Hebrew, means ‘salvation’ or ‘deliverer’; so when we call on His name, even though the situation may remain the same and we still have to deal with it, deep inside He will bring calm to our anxious thoughts, maybe give us fresh guidance or reveal a solution. Over and above these things, He will bring our spirits to the place of peace in Him.

Additional reading: 2 Corinthians 4:8-18; Isaiah 43:1-2.

Thank Him that even though you still have to face the storm, He has promised to be with you in it.

Prayer Time: 
Reflect on your life today and make a list of any situations or circumstances you consider to be your current storms.

• Which is the most pressing matter?
• What is Jesus saying to you?

Pour your heart out to God over the most pressing storm you are facing. Thank Him that He understands. Thank Him that even though you still have to face the storm, He has promised to be with you in it. Ask Him to fill you with His peace and to teach you how to live as an overcomer.

Other devotionals in this series can be accessed here.