"The Purpose of the Storm"

Right when things started to look like they were going smoothly for the people on the ship in this passage, the storm made its attempts to strike them out every chance it got. I couldn't help but notice how ironically upsetting this might've been for them all. It's upsetting to have a goal in mind, and not see it be carried out how you envisioned it to be in reality.

This was definitely my mood during my senior year of high school.
I was looking forward to having the best experience ever: driving to school on my own, going to most of the football & basketball games, attending every dance, all of it. However, sooner than later it was very clear that God had other plans for me; my first semester of my senior year didn't even come to an end before I started facing challenges I never imagined I'd have to encounter. As hard as they were, they gave me the chance to draw closer to God and build up the courage to endure what I went through.

There will always be storms that appear in our lives with the intention of knocking us down. No matter how hard we try to overcome one challenge, there always seems to be another one that’s even more difficult. Fortunately, we can count on God to carry us through the storms because He is a promise-keeper. When our hope is in the Lord and He sees that we truly love Him, He works all things for our good (Romans 8:28). It’s understandable to feel fed up at times when it seems like there’s no hope, and a lot of people may ask, “how is it possible for the hardships I’m going through to be for my good?” BUT...

Going through the storm requires having courage along the way (Acts 27:22, 25). The courage God instills in us when we trust in Him helps us to clearly see what’s stopping us from pressing forward; it helps us to see what’s weighing us down from getting through the storm. Just hand over whatever load this may be to God so that you’ll have enough courage to get through the challenges you're facing.

Nothing that takes effort is done without putting in the work!

So while we're about to step into the new year, keep in mind that as long as God has big plans for you and as long as you're aware of the end goal that lies ahead, there will be storms.
However, in order to make it YOUR year, keep up your courage in the midst of it all, trust the process, and watch God work His miracles as He always does.


[Passage found in: Acts 27:13-25]