Storms of Life

“Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters; they have seen the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. For He spoke and raised up a stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. They rose up to the heavens, they went down to the depths; their soul melted away in their misery. They reeled and staggered like a drunken man, and were at their wits’ end. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distresses. He caused the storm to be still, so that the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad because they were quiet, so He guided them to their desired haven. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness, and for His wonders to the sons of men! Let them extol Him also in the congregation of the people, and praise Him at the seat of the elders,” (Psalm 107:23-32, NASB).

How do we react in a thunderstorm? Do we tremble under the covers in fear? Or do we recall the words of Psalm 29: “The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord is over many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful, the voice of the Lord is majestic,” (Psalm 29:3-4, NASB)? Just as our responses to bad weather vary according to our perspective, so do our reactions to trials.

Life’s storms can either stunt or accelerate our spiritual growth. The determining factor is our reaction. Some people humbly cry out to the Lord, while others get angry or frustrated with Him. Still others ignore Him and try to figure things out on their own, seeking solutions in every place except God’s Word.

Turning away from the Lord results in a hardened heart for an unbeliever and discipline for a believer. God wants us to be surrendered to His will, because if we are proud or self-reliant, then we aren’t useful for His glory. That’s why He brings storms across our path – to teach us to rely on Him.

When the Lord allows adversity in our life, do we accept it as something designed for our good? Or do we try to bend God to our will? As difficult as they may be, storms are meant to produce godly character in us.