Facing the Storms
For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.
- Matthew 5:45
Have you ever been caught an unexpected storm? When a big storm is approaching, the meteorologists usually will tell us about it. And if it is really building, if it is at hurricane strength, it might even be given a name because of its significance.
There are times when we know storms are brewing and building. And there are other times when they come out of nowhere. But one thing we need to know about life is that we will have storms-storms of hardship, tragedy, difficulty, and worst-case scenarios. Some of these storms can be life-altering: the death of someone you love, an illness, a disability, a conflict at home or work, being laid off, or even a rebellious child.
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At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talked about two men who built their homes, and the storms came. And the storms always will come. In fact, there are really two kinds of people in the world: those who are going through a crisis and those who will go through a crisis. You either are in a storm or you are ultimately headed into one. The rain will fall, according to the Bible, on the righteous and the unrighteous. So we cannot control whether or not the storms come. All we can control is how we react to them.
I don't have any words of assurance for those who go through storms in life without God. But for the Christian, I do have some: "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). For those who have put their faith in Christ, ultimately all things will work together for good. Where are you putting your faith today?
