On his way to Rome, Paul went through a devastating storm. When Jonah refused to go to Nineveh, he got caught up in a storm. When the disciples were crossing to the other side of a lake, a storm arose. These were real physical storms. The storms we often experience in our lives are usually circumstantial, emotional, or relational. But we can still apply the biblical stories of storms to our situations. Firstly, our disobedience can cause storms to come about. This doesn’t mean that every time something bad happens in our lives, it’s our fault that it happened. But sometimes when we hear God’s call and we decide to go a different way, life can become challenging. That’s because we’re not walking the path God had for us. The captain of Paul’s ship didn’t listen to Paul’s warning, and he ended up losing a lot. Jonah refused to go where God told Him to go; instead he went in the opposite direction and found himself caught up in a huge storm. We have to remember that God’s plans are far better than anything we could come up with ourselves. When we hear Him call us, we need to obey. Secondly, we can know without doubt that we’re not alone in the storm. God promises to never leave us, and that includes when we’re facing tough times. In the middle of Paul’s storm, an angel spoke to Him and said: ‘Do not be afraid, Paul’ (Acts 27:24 NIV). When the disciples cried out to Jesus, who was sleeping during the storm, He calmed the wind and the waves. When we have God on board, there’s not a storm that’s powerful enough to take us under. We need to keep trusting God. He will bring us through the storm.

What Now?

Draw some storm clouds in your journal, then write a storm you’re currently facing in each one. Spend some time asking God to bring you through each storm.