It’s raining….again. Just when we were getting so used to the sunshine, here came the rain and based on the weather forecast, there is no end in sight. Each morning it is cloudy and dark outside instead of sunny and clear. Have you ever felt like you were in the midst of a storm with no end in site?
God’s Word is a constant reminder of how necessary the storms of life are for our personal growth. He wastes nothing. If He has you in a place where you are surrounded by a storm, remember who your God is. He is the creator of all things [Genesis 1:1]. He created the storm and has total authority over it. It will do what He commands [Mark 4:39]. If He allows the storm to rage on, trust He has a greater purpose. He will not abandon you [Genesis 28:15]. He will complete what He started in you [Philippians 1:6]. I love how after a storm, everything smells fresh and clean. New life seems to burst forth from every direction.
It reminds me of the story of a little boy who eagerly watched a caterpillar spin a cocoon. He checked it every day to see if there had been any change. One day, he noticed movement in the cocoon. He had studied this in school and he knew a butterfly was trying to get out of the cocoon. Feeling like he couldn’t watch the struggle any longer, the boy cut a slit in the cocoon to help the butterfly escape. The butterfly did escape through the slit and spread its beautiful wings and attempted to fly. However, instead of taking flight and soaring through the sky, the butterfly fell to the ground and died. You see, it is through the struggle and escape the butterfly strengthens its wings. Since there was no struggle, there was no strength to fly…no strength to survive.
Sweet friend, while we may wish we could avoid struggles and trials in life, we gain strength by going though them. Our faith grows exponentially when we come out the other side of a difficult time.
So when the rain clouds come, don’t go running from them. Lean on the One who created both you and the storm and trust He will see you through. He will be your strength. Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” [NAS]