5 Reasons We Can Thrive in the Storm

When you come out of the storm you won’t be the same person that walked in. That’s what the storm is all about.—Haruki Murakami

Throughout our lives, we are forever changing and, hopefully, growing. As long as life rolls along fairly quietly and the changes are subtle, we can live with, and maybe even embrace, the process. There’s a certain satisfaction in watching ourselves mature and become smarter, stronger and more capable.

We are certainly much less thrilled, however, about those times when our life is suddenly torn apart by gale force winds of change. The death of a loved one, a financial reversal, or a family crisis can send any of us spinning. We’ve probably all heard that it is in these difficult times that we grow the most. Even if we’ve experienced it in our own life, knowing that none of the storms are a waste can seem like an almost non-existent comfort in the midst of the turmoil.

Many of you are in the middle of one of the darkest and most destructive storms of your life, even as you read this. You’re not sure what will be left when the dark clouds finally part. Will your life even be recognizable? Maybe you’re even starting to lose hope that there will be an end to this particularly heartbreaking storm.

No matter what’s going on, God has given us five truths that we can cling to during our most challenging times:

1. HE IS WITH  US
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  —  Joshua 1:9

2. HE WILL GIVE US STRENGTH
“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” — Philippians 4:13

3. PERSEVERING THE CHALLENGES WILL MAKE US MORE COMPLETE
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” — James 1:2-4

4. GOD WILL COMFORT US AND, IN TURN WE WILL BE ABLE TO COMFORT OTHERS
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” —2 Corinthians 1:3-4

5. OUR CURRENT PAIN WILL DIM IN THE LIGHT OF GOD’S BLESSINGS
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”—Romans 8:18

If we hold tight to God’s promises, in spite of how we’re feeling in the moment, we’ll do much more than just survive the storm. We will emerge from its dark days with more peace, empowerment and gratitude than we have ever known before.

“But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my refuge in times of trouble — Psalms 59:16

TODAY’S CHAT: Which of these five truths did YOU most need to be reminded of today? How does it speak to your current situation?