Today I am praying particularly for those of you who are going through a storm. Storms I speak of may be physical, mental, emotional, and/or spiritual in nature. Storms come in variations of intensity and outcome. Here are just a few of the many types of storms we face in life.
- Financial difficulties
- An unexpected surgery
- An accident
- An illness not responding to treatment
- A problem in the family
- A separation or divorce
- A difficulty at work
- Personal disobedience
- A recent loss of someone or some thing
- A personal struggle you do not talk about
If you care to, write me about your particular storm and I will pray for you even more specifically. Sometimes it is hard to discern when God is allowing or causing the storm. Let’s think of two well-known storms in the Bible.
- Storm #1: A storm that God caused. In Jonah chapter one, Jonah finds himself in a storm due to his own disobedience. In Jonah 1:4, we find these words: “The Lord sent out a great wind on the sea …” If it has been a while since you have read the Jonah account, you might want to take a few minutes and do that.
- Storm #2: A storm God allowed. This happened when Jesus and the disciples were in a boat. This storm is mentioned in all three of the Synoptic Gospels. Notice how the three gospel writers speak of this same storm.
- “a great tempest arose” (Matthew 8:25)
- “a great windstorm arose” (Mark 4:38)
- “a windstorm came down” (Luke 8:24)
In all three of these references, the storm is presented as something that just happened. Sometimes the storms in life just happen. Our Lord used this storm to teach a power lesson. These two storms are weather related storms. I trust you see how they illustrate to the non-weather storms we face in life.
Sometimes storms are big and they last a while. Sometimes they are little; they flare up and then they pass. You know the difference between a big storm and a little storm. A big storm is something that happens to us. A little storm is when that same thing happens to someone we do not know.
Regardless of the intensity of the storm you are facing today, our Lord God is the answer. A few minutes ago, I read Psalm 107. It is one of the longer Psalms but powerful and insightful concerning storms in life. I noticed a recurring theme in the Psalm. Take a few minutes, read it, and see if you can draw out that recurring theme. As you do, remember, I am praying for you today.