As we have been watching the news closely the past few days to track hurricane Dorian, it has made me think about how, as Christians, we should face every storm in life. Not just hurricanes, but storms that come at us in many different forms and varying intensities. Examples such as:

Environmental storms – hurricanes, tornados, flooding, wildfires, droughts

Physical storms – undesired medical diagnosis, aches and pains, bodies that don’t look or function the way we desire

Emotional storms – broken relationships, lost jobs or promotions, loss of loved ones, parenting a toddler or teenager

Mental storms – depression, lack of self-confidence and self-worth

Can each of these very different types of storms all be faced in the same manner? What does the Bible say about facing life’s storms? Let’s take a look!

Don’t be anxious or afraid

When we see a storm headed our way, it is easy to have a knee-jerk reaction of anxiety and/or fear. However, there are many verses throughout both the Old and New Testament which encourage believers to not react in that manner. Here are just a few:

Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:4-7

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. – John 14:27

Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. – Isaiah 41:10

The Bible also gives us several good reasons why we shouldn’t be afraid:

Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down – Proverbs 12:25a

And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life’s span? If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters? – Luke 12:25–26

The Bible tells us not to worry, and we accomplish absolutely nothing by doing it other than weighing our hearts down, so why do it?

Put your faith and trust in God

If we are not to be anxious or afraid, then how should we react when a storm head’s our way?

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. – Joshua 1:9

Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. – John 14:1

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord. – Jeremiah 17:7

Trust in the Lord forever, for in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock. – Isaiah 26:4

These verses remind me to put my faith and trust in God. It is through believing that God is in control, in all circumstances, that gives us the ability to have strength and courage no matter what storm is headed our way.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. – Psalm 23: 1–6 (emphasis added)

No matter what storms we are facing, if we look hard enough, we often can see that still, indeed, our cup overflows. We should focus on what blessings God has so graciously bestowed upon us. Even though we don’t have good health, do we have friends and loved ones who care about us? When we are concerned with a hurricane coming that might destroy our possessions, we can be thankful He has blessed us with the resources to have obtained those possessions. With a little work, we can train our mind to look for the silver lining in every cloud, to recognize the bright spots in the storm.

God will sustain you

But, what about when we start to feel afraid? It’s often easier said than done to completely void our mind of fear. So, what should we do when we start to feel that fear coming over us?

For I am the Lord your God, who upholds your right hand, who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’ – Isaiah 41:13

When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. – Psalm 56:3

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. – Philippians 4:13

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. – Matthew 11:28

Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. – Psalm 55:22

Go to God and tell Him about it! We can bring our fears, our doubts, our insecurities to God and lay them at His feet. When I read Isaiah 41:13 “I am the Lord your God, who upholds your right hand” I get the visual image of God walking along side of me, holding my hand and telling me that everything is going to be okay, He’s got this! Our rest and freedom come only from knowing the Creator and fully relying on Him.

Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary. – Isaiah 40:31

The word “wait” in the verse above means to “hope in.” Placing our hope in the Lord is where we will find strength, it is how we soar and don’t become weary.

God cares for you

Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. – 1 Peter 5:6-7

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:38-39

There is absolutely NOTHING that can separate us from God’s love. We may not always feel like God loves us. We may feel like the approaching storm is due to God’s lack of concern for us, but that is not truth.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. – Proverbs 3:5

I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2

Our own understanding pales in comparison to our mighty God. We cannot possibly comprehend everything that He allows in our lives and how He can use even the worst circumstances to His glory, but that is because we serve a HUGE God! I have often said that I wouldn’t want a God that I could fully comprehend. If I could, then He would be no bigger than me. But I fully trust that my life is in His hands, not matter what storm comes my way. Because of that we can praise Him even in the storm.

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. – Psalm 34:1

God is bigger than ALL storms

No matter what type or severity storm you are facing in your life, I hope that you will put your faith and trust in God. If you have accepted Him as your Lord and Savior, then you have nothing to fear. He’s got this!

Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all! – 2 Thessalonians 3:16