Are you in a hurricane?

There are days and weeks where we feel like the world is dumping on us. Similar to New Orleans, we feel like storm after storm rages, and just when we pick ourselves up, another one hits.

The thing that gets me is that throughout scripture, storms often accompany an encounter with God.

• When God spoke to Elijah, there was a terrible storm beforehand. (1 Kings 19)
•  When God spoke to Job, there was a maelstrom beforehand.
•  When Jesus walked on the water, and had Peter join him, there was a horrible storm. (Mt. 14:22)

Sometimes, storms are the precursor to a new revelation of who God is.

To Elijah, he showed himself – his actual self.  To Job, he spoke truth.  To Peter, He showed his nature.

These encounters often changed people.

• Elijah left with renewed energy, hope and direction.
• Job’s storm was as much inside as outside, and he needed to forgive his ‘friends’, and pray for them – then God restored all he’d lost.
• As soon as Jesus stepped in the boat, the storm was over.

Storms in life can be a precursor to God speaking, God doing or God revealing Himself and giving opportunity for us to step out of the boat.

But the storm didn’t stop for Elijah until God began to whisper – it didn’t stop for Job until he forgave, and it didn’t stop for Peter until he’d nearly drowned himself and he and Jesus got back in the boat.

In each case, the storm built the faith of the individuals involved, and they knew God and themselves better when it was over than when they’d begun.

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Are you in a storm? What have you learned about God recently?