Storms of Life & Valleys

God desires to show His power through your storm, but is your lack of faith keeping Him from doing so? God brings storms into your life to show His strength and to gain glory from His providence.  Paul Chappell

My devotional yesterday talked about how our house was broken into on Saturday.  I also talked about my cancer diagnosis in April, the hail storm that hit just our neighborhood in May, our hot water heater that went out in June and now our house being broken into in August.  I am sure there was something that happened in July but chemo is doing a number on my memory.

Anyway, last night we are sitting in our living room when my husband’s phone rings.  My husband looked at the number and then said I am not answering it since I don’t recognize the number.  Well, a few minutes later the phone rang again; same number.  When Jerry didn’t answer it again he received a text that just said “Hello”.  He decided to call the person back because they were really persistent. 

When he called the number a lady answered and  when Jerry told her who he was she proceeds to tell him that they found his stolen car.  Now the last time I checked we still have both our cars so Jerry responds “What car”.  The rest of the story gets better and folks you can’t make this stuff up.  The lady tells him “We thought we found your stolen car because there is a bag in it that has your name and phone number on it.”  She then explains that they are buying a house in Dallas that has been vacant for a while and they went to check on the house and there is a stolen Lexus parked in the back yard. In the Lexus is Jerry’s duffel bag that we think is the one that had my robe and slipper in it that was stolen on Saturday. 

I know you probably think my husband and I are lunatics, but we started laughing.  Then I told him this has God written all over it.  What are the chances that within a day of being robbed we get a call from someone we don’t know that they may have found some of our stuff in a stolen car that has been hidden in the back yard of a house that is vacant and the people who called haven’t even bought the house yet?  They just stopped by to check on the house. 

I believe that I am on a journey that God has planned for me.  On this journey I have had a whole lot of valleys.  But in those valleys He has helped me touch other people’s lives on His behalf.  I also believe that Satan does his best work when we are in our valleys. If we become discouraged or waiver he is waiting and ready to pounce on us in our vulnerable state.  If I am not focused on God during the storms in my life, I will miss His blessing on the other side of the valley and Satan will gain control. 

The best time to build our faith is when we are being tossed around by life.  If we can weather our storms and have faith that God is there for us in the midst of them, then how much greater will our faith be when we reach the other side.  We are guaranteed storms and it is not a matter of if they will come, it is when.  When you think your storm is too big to handle, turn to the One who is the Master of calming storms.     

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, when I started this journey four months ago; I was reminded of Jesus calming the storm that tossed the boat that the disciples were in.  As Jesus slept they were worried about whether they would survive.  You have the power to see us through any storm of life; but we must first turn to You and believe that You are capable of calming the storm.  Thank You for calming my storms and thank You for helping me through them.      

      

Scripture: Wind and Wave Obey Jesus

Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”  Matthew 8:23-27