“Based upon the authority of the Word of God, I want you to peer past the storms in your life and understand that righteousness and obedience are preparing you.”
If I could sit and talk with you personally, I’m sure you would be able to tell me stories about storms you have faced that would bring me to tears. Yet I’m writing to you today because I want you to know that these storms don’t have to signal the end of your testimony!
No matter what storms are swirling all around you—your loved ones, your workplace, your church, or any other area of your life—God sees every hurt, disappointment, heartache, betrayal, and grief you face.
Best of all, you are safe with Him, regardless of any upheavals or challenges in front of you, for “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).
So often during recent days, I’ve thought of the century-old hymn written by Charles Albert Tindley:
When the storms of life are raging, stand by me; When the storms of life are raging, stand by me; When the world is tossing me like a ship upon the sea, Thou Who rulest wind and water, Stand by me.
Sometimes we forget that God is in control, even when you feel at your wit’s end. He promises:
Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm so that its waves are still. (Psalm 107:28-29 NKJV)
Jesus will take care of you, just as He rebuked the raging winds on the Sea of Galilee (Mark 4).
As with His 12 disciples, He can even use the storms to prepare you for the future!
In fact, wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could see past the storms in your life and view all that He has prepared for you?
How would it change your life if you could see that your future is secure and blessed beyond measure?
Your Storms Won’t Last Forever
Based upon the authority of the Word of God, I want you to peer past the storms in your life and understand that righteousness and obedience are preparing you for this:
If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasure. But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge. (Job 36:11-12)
We know from the Scriptures that God will protect you today from the challenges in your life, but He also desires a future of abundance for you: Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. (3 John 2)
The good news is that you can secure your future through your actions today, even in the midst of raging storms!
Once the children of Israel saw God’s power during their miraculous deliverance through the Red Sea, they sought Him. They served Him. And He prospered them beyond measure!
The believers in the early church did the same. We learn in Acts that the believers sought the Lord:
“The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul…and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked” (Acts 4:22-24).
They served Him, gave unselfishly to His work, and He prospered them so abundantly that none of them lacked!
You could undoubtedly share your own testimony of what God can do, regardless of the circumstances, when you act in faith!
A New Chapter
So, I can now simply tell you that what seemed like the end a few years ago has marked a game-changing new chapter for our ministry!
And I can say with confidence that God’s promises are as true today as when He inspired the psalmist to proclaim these words:
Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favor my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. (Psalm 35:27)
God takes great pleasure in helping you through your storms and guiding you toward a brighter tomorrow.
There are so many faith-building testimonies of people throughout the Bible who held on to God’s promises, even in the midst of the storms they faced—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, David, Ruth, Hannah, Mary, the disciples, and so many others. And His promises are still in the Word for you today.
Your Weapon for Rising Above Challenges
One of the most consistent principles for getting past the storms and challenges of life is planting a seed in preparation for God’s supernatural harvest.
Right after Noah went through one of history’s worst storms, He was given this promise by God Himself:
“While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22).
Sowing and reaping are foundations of our faith that will never be destroyed or blown away by the raging winds of time. And these principles apply to every area of your life!
Keep your eyes on God’s blessed promises, not on our circumstances: He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. (Ecclesiastes 11:4)
Focusing on the storms will keep you from sowing and reaping, so when troubles and trials come, look to the Lord!
No matter what happens around you, plant your seed, believing in His promises and expecting a supernatural harvest.
That harvest will come, no matter what storms swirl around you.
Do not look at the storms or the storm clouds. Look to Jesus, and the harvest will come!
Place a seed in God’s hands. Give Him an opportunity to pour an overflow into your life.
When the storms of life rage all around you, God will stand by you, protect you, and prepare you for amazing days ahead!
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