We are more alike than we think and during stormy seasons like these, it’s hard for all of us to maintain our hope.

However, we see this same challenge in the bible when Jesus and His disciples sail across the Sea of Galilee in Mark 4:35-41. Jesus was resting on the stern of the boat when a sudden storm erupted, pounding the boat with waves and nearly flooding everything inside. Terrified, the disciples ran to Jesus and hastily asked why He wasn’t doing anything to help; He responded by simply getting up, rebuking the winds, and demanding that the waves come to a stop. With the storm at a standstill, He then turned back to His disciples and asked the following: Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?

We are no different than the disciples, we often become so blinded by the storms in our lives that we forget the power and the love of the God we serve. Our present circumstances take our attention away from His eternal promises – His promises to provide for us, to strengthen us, to sustain us until the end. We wind up running to him in a panic, begging for Him to do something, when in fact He’s been faithfully by our side all along.

Thankfully, in seasons like this our only resource is to turn to the SOURCE! When life is spiraling out of control, God’s Word is the only thing that can anchor us in place. When our lives become darker or more chaotic, our help and reassurance comes through reading God’s word (Romans 10:17) and then quietly listening for the Holy Spirit to establish an rewarding path-forward and next step towards our victorious breakthrough!

Here are a few things we should remind ourselves during a storm: God is in control and He has authority over our storms (John 16:33), God loves us and has plans to prosper us (Jeremiah 29:11), God causes all things to work out for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28), God timing is always perfectly flawless (Ecc 3:1), God will never leave our side (Psalm 145:18-19), and God commands us to be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:9).

In I Thessalonians 5:16 we are equally commanded to ‘pray without ceasing’ no matter the situation nor circumstance. Make note: when we find ourselves beaten, broken and weary that’s an alarm 🚨 indicator that reminds us that ‘closed mouths don’t get fed’! It’s our responsibility to call out to God and it’s our responsibility to turn it over to God!

Rather than sinking deeper into fear or pain, iwe need to pray. We need to pour out our hearts to God from the moment we wake up to start our day to the moment we get in the bed to go to sleep!

Tell God what’s worrying you and ask Him to bring you peace and affirmation. Something powerful always happens when we speak God’s word back to Him!

At the end of the day, there is no storm that God won’t carry us through, no bridge God won’t help us cross, and no battle that God won’t help us win. So, trust God and be strong!