There Is Purpose in the StormSampel

Storms

“Difficulties come into our lives to develop us. Every storm is a school. Every trial is a teacher. Every experience is an education.”- Nicky Gumbel

I love looking out the window on a rainy day or a snowy night, but I can’t say I particularly like a rain or snow storm except for the day-off that might accompany it. But, whether I like it or not, storms are inevitable, and they come in a variety of ways such as hail, heavy rain, ice storms, lightning, thunderstorms, and wind. No matter the form it takes, we will experience the effects of a storm in our lives. 

In both the natural and spiritual, storms are and can:

• Be Seasonal
• Be predicted
• Reveal the strengths and weaknesses of a location or nation
• Bring great destruction
• Leave people devastated
• Educate
• Be a test

From the list above, there are positives and negatives to a natural storm. When compared to the life of a believer, spiritual storms serve a purpose also. Storms in the life of a believer can take on the form of sickness, financial burdens, relationship struggles, fear, anxiety, worry, and death of a loved one just to list a few. And, because we live in a fallen world, these storms are inevitable.

I used to hate the stormy seasons in my life. As I have matured in my walk with God, I have learned no matter what is happening in my life, whether it is good or bad, there are a purpose and a lesson to learn from it. As we explore the Word of God over the next few days, I hope you will recognize God can use every stormy situation in your life for good if you would lean on and trust Him wholly through it. 

While God doesn’t send the storms in your life, He is more than able to use them for your benefit. Our walk with God is based on His words and promises to us. Every day we read the Bible and other spiritual material to feed our souls, yet at some point, whatever we have learned and stored in our hearts must be tested. Tests make me nervous, and I would much prefer a free pass, but to understand how strong and stable we are in life, we need the storms, and that is what the storms do; they tests us! 

Matthew 13:21 states, “And when affliction or trouble or persecution comes on account of the Word.” Every time we sit under a teaching from the Word of God, or every time revelation is released into our lives, there will be testing of the Word to ensure it takes root to bear fruit. 

It is the enemy’s hope you never bring forth fruit in your life. He will stop at nothing to accomplish that; he will try to keep your mind occupied with the things of this world. He will bring chaos and confusion to keep you from meditating on the Word and will cause the cares, riches, and accumulating of more to dry up the seed of the Word. But for believers who get hold of the promises of God and protect those promises even if the storms come, those storms will not beat them down or bring lasting destruction and devastation. In the storm, the believer will stay intact and bear much fruit after it passes. Count it a joy today because you have understood that the storm will not be the end of you but will be a test you will pass with flying colors.