Storms...

We all go through storms in life as God allows. Sometimes the storm is in our friendships, sometimes in our church family, sometimes with our health or finances etc.
God is testing us in our ministry at church and refining and sharpening our swords to help us fight the enemy's firey darts. Hugh has had an awesome ministry with teens at our church and it seems Satan is playing hard trying to destroy it. God is faithful and wants us to be strong through it all. He is our refuge and strength through anything!!

Here is a story that gives me comfort.


I have a friend who does quite a bit of sailing, so I asked him if he had ever been caught in a bad storm. "Many times!" he said. Unbelievable! I had to ask, "Then why on earth do you keep sailing?" His answer was profound. "Mary, every sailor knows that there will be storms. The trick is to learn how to respond to the storm. In a fierce storm, there is only one thing to do and only one way to survive. You have to put the ship in a certain position and keep her there."



The same is true for the believer. When the storms of life overwhelm us, there is only one thing to do. We must place ourselves in the comfort of God and He will keep us there until the storm is past. Yes, God's comfort is faithful! What a great promise that every time we have trouble He will be there with comfort! The faithful and consistent comfort of God depends upon nothing but the character and heart of God.



I love my children with all of my heart. Naturally, there are times that they make me very angry. They disobey me and sometimes even disappoint me, but if they are hurt, sick or in trouble, the anger, disappointment and even the disobedience is overruled by my love for them and a driving need to comfort them! If my imperfect heart responds to my children that way think about the perfect heart of our heavenly Father!

Richard Fuller writes:



"This, Christian, is what you must do. Sometimes, like Paul, you can see neither sun nor stars, and no small tempest lies on you. Reason cannot help you. Past experiences give you no light. Only a single course is left. You must stay upon the Lord; and come what may -- winds, waves, cross seas, thunder, lightening, frowning rocks, roaring breakers -- no matter what, you must lash yourself to the helm and hold fast your confidence in God's faithfulness and his everlasting love in Christ Jesus."



Few things in this unstable life are completely dependable, but God's comfort is one of them! When the hard times come, we can hold on to the promise that is found in Jeremiah 16:19, "Lord, you are my strength and my protection, my safe place in times of trouble."


May you hold onto God with all you have and He WILL bring you through!!