Sunday Service 9:00 am

 

X Close Menu

Storms

“He caused the storm to be still, so that the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad because they were quiet, so He guided them to their desired haven” (Psalm 107:29-30)

 

Have you ever been in a real storm?  Not just a mild wind but a real devastating storm? They can be pretty dangerous and threatening and it’s always a relief when the storm is over. Physical storms are not the only storms we go through; there are spiritual storms, emotional storms, family and marital storms, financial storms and so on. Each can be dangerous and threatening. But to survive a storm of any kind, it helps to know something about storms… especially spiritual and emotional storms. The definition of a storm is a sudden and violent commotion, a tumultuous outburst, and (I like this one) a violent assault on a defended position. I believe there are three basic sources of storms… storms allowed by God, storms that come from our own sin or really bad decisions, and those that come from the devil. Storms allowed by God are never meant to hurt or destroy us but to build us in faith, trust and an absolute dependence on God. However, we should know some things about storms if we are to make it through…

 

Storms don’t last forever! Sometimes it feels like they do, but they don’t. Storms are temporary and subject to change. Seek God in the storm and keep all eyes on Him. “For our light, momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

 

Storms will try to wear you down! The Apostles tried to row harder when they were in a storm, but it got them nowhere. You don’t have to row harder… just wait upon the Lord, trust Him. It will not be by your effort but by His. Resist being intimidated and discouraged. You could outlast the storm. Stay put, stay in the Word and be open to hear the voice of the Lord in the storm.

 

Storms can cause you to lose your sense of direction! You’ve been going one way then all of a sudden a storm comes up and turns you every which way but loose and you lose the direction you were going in. A storm can be used to re-set you in the right direction if you’ve been going in the wrong direction… or… if you’ve been going in the wrong direction it will set you in the right direction. Keep all eyes on Jesus.

Defeat comes from looking back…

Distraction comes from looking around…

Discouragement comes from looking down…

Deliverance comes from looking up!

 

Storms can bring an overwhelming sense of failure upon you and keep you thinking in a victim mentality! You are not a failure and you are no longer a victim. Stop acting like you are both. Everybody goes through storms. Learn from it and trust God through it. You’re coming out of the storm… being held by His right hand.

 

Lastly, your attitude in the storm will determine the outcome of the storm. How do you see yourself in the storm?  An opportunity to grow and learn the lessons of God or an opportunity to get mad, blame somebody, walk away and seek a place where there are no storms? By the way, that place doesn’t exist! Did David see Goliath as an ordeal or an opportunity? As the people were about to cross over the Jordan into the Promised Land, did they see themselves as “grasshoppers” or a people that were “well able to overcome”?

 

So if you are in a storm today, seek His wisdom, grace and peace. Know that He is with you and will always be with you.  Trust that He is a God that will still the waves, hush the winds and lead and guide you into a safe place… our desired haven… right to into the arms of Jesus!