Overcoming the Storms of Life

But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says,“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. – Isaiah 43:1-2 (NLT)

There comes a time in life when we face the storms of life. Whether you are a believer or not, there will come a time when you will go through storms that will leave you stronger or broken. You need to know how to overcome the storms of life even before they happen. 

Now, it could be that you are going through a storm right now, and you are on the verge of giving up. You may be wondering whether this is happening because you did something wrong. While sin opens up doors for some storms, please know that not all storms come because you did something wrong. Every child of God faces storms at some point.

Before we go into detail about overcoming the storms of life, let us look at what it means to be in a storm. 

What are the Storms of life?

These are challenges or situations that we go through from time to time. The storms of lives are difficult things and times we face in our walk with the Lord. Storms come in the form of sickness, financial hardships, family problems, and so on. 

There is one thing that we need to understand about the storms of life, and that is, it is not God who brings these things in our lives. The enemy is the one who attacks us with sickness and other kinds of storms. 

God is the creator of everything, nothing catches Him by surprise. So He allows storms to come in our lives. Yes, God is well able to stop the enemy from the onset. But He will allow us to go through the storm most of the time so that we can become Christ-like. (John 16:33)

It could be that you are asking God to remove the storm in your life when He wants to walk with you through it. If you have been doing this, please go back to God and ask Him to show you His will concerning the storm you are going through. If He wants you to go through it and come out on the other side, ask Him to strengthen you so that you can come out victorious. 

I know that is the last thing you want to hear. But remember, God always uses what the enemy intended for harm to lift us up and glorify His name. Instead of complaining and asking God to take it away, ask Him to glorify Himself through you. 

Okay, you are probably wondering, if God is able to stop the enemy from harming us, if He loves us and wants the best for us, then why does Hse allow us to go through all this? 

Why God allows Storms in our Lives?

1. God Cannot Break His Laws

There are laws that God set in place. These laws govern His influence on earth. God created the earth and gave man authority so that through him, He, God, can rule the earth. Yes, there’ll come a time when God will live with us on the new earth. But for now, He has given the earth to man. (Psalm 116:15) 

How is this related to the storms that we face in life, you may ask.

Well, man was given dominion over the earth. Unfortunately, the enemy lied to Eve, and man ended up losing the dominion He was given to the devil. So the authority we were given by God was transferred to the enemy, the god of this world. 

Though God sent His only son to die for us, the world is still under the control of the enemy, and that is why we go through the storms of life. See, God doesn’t like to see us suffer, but because we live in a fallen world, we are going to face storms from time to time. 

2. To Strengthen Us

Another reason why we face storms is that God wants to strengthen us. As we have already seen, we live in a fallen world that is under the control of the enemy. The storms that we go through as children of God are meant to strengthen us so that we can withstand the attacks of the enemy.

See, even though Jesus was fully God, He was subject to the things of this world. He endured all the challenges and storms that He faced. We need to be like Jesus. We should not run away from storms; instead, we should allow God to strengthen us so that we can become like His son Jesus and win against all the plans of the enemy over our lives. (Hebrews 12:2)

3. To Reveal God’s Will

Let’s be honest sometimes, we get so caught up with life that we fail to hear the voice of God and know His will over our lives. Many of us are always distracted by the things of this world when life is great. But when storms come, we turn back to God and become faithful in our walk. 

While this is not the way our Father would like us to relate with Him, there are those times that He will allow storms to come so that He can draw our attention to Him and cause us to listen so that we can know His will for our lives. 

Jonah allowed His feelings and thoughts about the people of Nineveh to overshadow God’s will for them. When he tried to run away, God brought a storm that eventually caused him to repent and carry out the assignment God gave him (Jonah 1:1-17). Could it be that you’ve been running away from God’s will all these years or months, and now God has allowed this storm to come so that he can draw your attention?

Please take the time to examine yourself and then turn to God and allow Him to reveal His will to you so that you can start walking in it. Look, God has our best interests at heart. It may not seem like that right now, but with time you will understand why He wants that thing to happen in your life. (Jeremiah 29:11)

4. To Help Us Experience God in a New Way

At times we get accustomed to a certain way of reading the word and praying that our spiritual lives end up being stale. It could be that God wants you to draw closer to Him than you already are. God may allow a storm to come so that you can draw near to Him and experience Him in a new way. 

Instead of running away from God, run to God. When you draw near to Him, He will also draw near to you, and you will experience the Lord in a new way. Christianity is not easy, but when you walk with God, you will enjoy the journey and become a great person that God wants you to be. 

God is a loving and caring Father. He wants to be close to all His children. Sadly, most of us are not giving Him a chance. If you’re going through a storm today, consider getting closer to God than you already are. The more Moses knew God, the closer he wanted to be with Him. That is why Moses asked God to reveal His glory to him. Like Moses, we should have that desire to know God in a new and deeper way. (Exodus 33:18-20)

5. To Equip us for Service

The enemy is never happy when he sees the children of God advancing the kingdom. He wants you to remain in the same state and rotate around the same mountain, just like the children of Israel. So when he sees you committing to the things of God, he unleashes all kinds of attacks to distract and discourage you from fulfilling your purpose. 

Don’t let fear and discouragement cloud your mind. Know that God will equip you to accomplish His purposes in this world. Through this storm, God is going to equip you for service. 

The truth is you are going to face different challenges when you start that ministry God is preparing you for. It doesn’t matter whether it is big or small, there are going to be some hard seasons that you WILL pass through. God is allowing this storm over your life so that He can strengthen you for what is ahead. When you face challenges in your ministry, you will remember how the Lord strengthened you and made you courageous and victorious in this storm. 

Dealing with the Storms of Life

How you handle a storm will determine whether you come out victoriously or defeated. But you don’t have to rely on your wisdom and strength. God will give you endurance so that you can be able to stand firm and fight. You only need to trust Him and lean not on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5)

It is important that you win this storm because Jesus has already gone ahead of you and made it to the finish line. And secondly, you need to come out victoriously so that you can enjoy the great things God has planned for you. So,

How Should You Deal with the Storm that You’re in Right Now?

1. Let the Peace of God Rule Your Heart

The enemy will try his level best to steal peace from your heart. He will bring things that will cause you to fear and become anxious. Now it is hard to have peace and anxiety at the same time.  

The Bible says you should not let your heart be troubled, don’t let it be afraid (John 14:27). If you keep focusing on what the enemy is doing, then you will become troubled in your heart, and the peace of God will be replaced with anxiety. During this challenging time, ask God to fill you with His peace so that it can guard your heart against all that the enemy is trying to do.

2. Stand Firm In the Word 

Storms are not meant to make us run away from God but to Him. Yes, it is hard to understand why God is quiet but do not turn away from Him. Use this time to get into His word so that you can know what it says about Him. God is always talking to us, and one of the ways is through His word. So read the word, stand firm in it, and allow it to penetrate your heart and remove all fear and doubt. 

3. Pray without Ceasing

The truth is it is difficult to pray when you are facing challenges. Sometimes you may fail to find the words to say. But know this that tears are prayers too, and God stores them in His bottle (Psalms 56:8). Spend time in God’s presence and pour your heart out. He will listen to your cry and come through for you. 

Another way you can pray in this season when you don’t have anything to say is listen and sing praise music. Praise defeats the enemy faster than anything. When you praise God in the storm, it means that you are magnifying Him over that situation that you are facing right now. 

Final Thoughts

All of us go through the storms of life. But for children of God, we need not let our hearts be troubled or afraid because God is with us and fighting on our behalf. Know that you are not the only one going through a storm right now. Don’t run away from God, instead run to Him and ask Him to strengthen you so that you can endure to the end and overcome the storms of life.

Don’t let fear replace your faith. Trust God, and don’t lean on your own understanding. Even when He seems quiet and feels distant, know that He is there with you fighting your battles. Pray without ceasing and stand firm in the word. 

Prayer – Overcoming the Storms of Life

Father God, thank You for everything that You are doing in my life. I thank You for the times and seasons that I am in. Lord, though I am going through a very difficult time right now, you remain to be faithful and King in my life. Heavenly Father, I know that this storm will come to pass because You can never give me more than I can handle. 

Dear God, I ask you to be my strength during this storm, for I can’t fight this alone. Uphold me with your righteous right hand and command your angels to take charge over me. God, when I am on the verge of giving up, remind me that you are fighting the battle on my behalf. When I am about to throw in the towel, remind me of what Jesus did on the cross so that I can be strengthened in my inner being.  

Holy Spirit of God, quicken me with the word of God so that I can be able to stand firm and fight back. Lord, use this storm to heal, change, and refine me. May You glorify Yourself through me and cause me to prosper in this. In Jesus’ Name, I believe and pray, Amen.