Even in the midst of the storm raging all around the world, God wants to know: will you trust Him in the storm? Will you be thankful regardless of the storm around you? Even when you don’t see Him? Even when you don’t feel His presence?
I’ve learned a few things about trusting God in the middle of the storm….
Trusting God in the storm
Whenever I have the chance to go the coast, I go.
And when I’m there, God and I have an agreement: since He is gracious enough to create the sunrise, I will get up and appreciate the splendor, no matter how early.
On a family trip to the ocean, I set my alarm for o’dark-thirty, got up, and padded my way down to the surf. I toted my towel, coffee mug, and camera along as creature comforts.
That particular morning as I sat on the cool damp sand, waiting expectantly for a beautiful burst of rainbow hues to explode over the ocean’s horizon, I was taken a bit by surprise when storm clouds engulfed me. Off in the far distance I could see the tiniest familiar glimmer of pink while dark billows loomed overhead. Yet as I sat patiently waiting, one drop fell, then two. Within moments the ominous storm clouds overhead pelted me like arrows from their quiver, cold and sharp.
Hints of His splendor remained off at the horizon but I sat left out in the storm. While I would not be witness to its majesty that day, someone somewhere was surely viewing the glorious heavenly pinks, purples, oranges and yellows of a new day.
How do I get through the storms of life?
I sat and questioned: where was He in my storm?
As the rain fell, soaking me through my towel and through my clothing, my heart felt cold and damp too. Recent events left me feeling a bit left out in the rain and wondering where He was in my storm.
Over the last few years, I’ve ridden in and out of storms and learned a few things through them all.
Sometimes He calms the storm before it has time to cause destruction, and sometimes He waits for us to come to Him in the midst of our storm.
Sometimes He calms the storm, and sometimes He waits out the storm with us to prove He is with us in the storm.
That thunderous stormy morning, just because I didn’t see a magnificent sunrise didn’t mean He wasn’t there. He was equally there in the wind and the waves, in the moving dark clouds and in the rain. In one word He created them, and in one word He could tell them to be still.
Will you trust God in your storm?
He was no less present and no less powerful in our storm than in a peaceful sunrise, just because it doesn’t look like we desire. The question is, will you trust Him in the storm and be thankful regardless?
Tomorrow is a new day and a new sunrise, but we must be intentional about not missing out on the blessings and lessons He has for us today, even in the midst of the storm.
Because of Him, #HopePrevails
(If you have a question you’d like Dr. B to answer, contact her here now. Your name and identity will be kept confidential.)
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I’m so thankful He is there in the storm and in the beautiful sunrises! I also strive to be intentional about keeping my eyes on Him and paying attention to what He has for me in both the storms and the sunrises 🙂
Michelle, I always love being your neighbor on a link up. Your posts never fail to encourage me and this one is no exception. It is very well timed for me.
That is the question of all questions, isn’t it? Will we trust that He is present with us in the storm? I love your wisdom – ‘we must be intentional about not missing out on the blessings and lessons He has for us today, even in the midst of the storm’. I’m finding that to be true as well. When we look for them… they are right there. Thank you so much, Dr. B, for sharing the hope that you have been finding; may you continually find comfort in our God who sees it all. Blessings!
Yes, yes, yes! Such great encouragement. Thank you, Michelle. Happy to be your #livefreeThursday neighbor.
The storm is where I’m come to know Him best. His faithfulness, goodness, love were shown to me in ways they couldn’t be in the sunrise.
Fresh off a day at the beach (yesterday), I am drinking in these words. Thanks for finding and sharing hope.
Tomorrow is a new day and a new sunrise.
I love that!
This right here is on point….we must be intentional about not missing out on the blessings and lessons He has for us today, even in the midst of the storm. This reminds me of Matthew 6 for us to not be worried about tomorrow for tomorrow will have it’s own troubles. Thank you for sharing. Stopping by from Grace and Truth link up.
Yes, he is present either way: “Sometimes He calms the storm before it has time to cause destruction, and sometimes He waits for us to come to Him in the midst of our storm.” Thanks, Michelle.
I had to stop by from the Salt and Light link up since my posts were related to this very thought. Heavy on my mind are those struggling–in the midst of a storm. The testimony is true–He will go with us through those storms if we but take His hand and lean into His Word. <3
Your posts are always brimming with encouragement and hope! I enjoy coming here and leaving stronger and with confidence!
Visiting from #DancewithJesus
I’ve been with you a long time, my friend, to know that you have truly had quite a few storms in your life these past few years and you are still walking in a storm but you know what I envision, an umbrella, just like the one I used to carry in my purse. Always handy but out of sight until needed. Protection from the brunt of the rain but not totally unscathed by the rain. There is a purpose even for rain, even for storms. I’ve had Him totally calm mine and I have had Him ride them out with me, caring for me, showing me how to maneuver through. So Yes, I will trust Him in the storms of my life, even though sometimes they are sure uncomfortable, and trust Him is the main reason but the other reason is that I have a good example of how to do it from you, dear Michelle. I’ve been with you through prayer and love through a lot of your storms and you walk through them in peace and that is what I want. Thanks for modeling this message! I love you!
My life has been a constant storm since 2007, and I fought against it and was anxious about it all for a long time. So much has piled on that I just let go. There is freedom in letting go, putting all that is out of our control in God’s hands. Sometimes our own emotions escalate the storm we are in, but letting go brings self-calm and peace in the turmoil. When you can draw closer to God and find peace in calamity, you can also begin to find little moments of joy too.
Timely message, friend. You know the storms I’ve through this year. Thanks for the reminder. Hope you are doing well and better with your health.
Thank you for this great resource, Michelle! I just told my hubs the other day, this is World War III, it’s just not what we envisioned World War III looking like. Things will never be the same again. Just like after World Wars I and II, things will be different when we make it through COVID-19. It’s the storm we didn’t anticipate, but I’m so glad to know that Master who calms the raging sea. He’s had to calm the raging sea inside of me on more than one occasion lately. Thank you for this encouraging post!
Pinned.
Thanks for linking up at InstaEncouragements!
Like Peter said once, where else would we go! We need to run to Him more than ever!