by Amanda Baker
How to Find the CALM in the Storm: Part One
Storms in life are not unique to any one person. In fact, someone has rightfully said that at any given time in life, we are in a storm, coming out of a storm, or getting ready to enter another storm in life. The Lord promised us that storms would be part of life in I Peter 4:12 - “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:” So the presence of storms in our lives should not surprise us as Christians. However much of our lives are consumed with dealing with the stormy times of life. The real question that every Christian must deal with is this - how do you find calm in the midst of the storm?
I believe that the Bible is full of passages that can be our “CALM” in the storms of life. Over the next several blog posts, I want to share with you some thoughts the Lord has impressed on me about just that - Finding the “CALM” in the Storm. Here is an overview of those thoughts.
Call on the Lord first.
Acknowledge that God allowed this storm for your good and ultimately for His glory.
Lean on Him as He takes you through the storm.
Minimize the negatives of the storm while you maximize the lessons God has for you as
you weather the storm.
Let’s begin with what I believe to be a foundational truth for each of us as we look for the “CALM” in the storm - Call on the Lord first! Sadly, as twenty-first century believers, we so quickly overlook this very important resource in the storms of life. We run to social media to ask others to pray for us (which is a blessing, don’t get me wrong), but many times we are asking others to do for us what we have yet to do for ourselves. I believe that we will more easily find the “CALM” in the storm if we will personally begin by crying out to the One Who has the ability to do something about the storm.
There are several passages that remind us of these truths. Below are just a few that have been a comfort and even a conviction to me concerning calling on the Lord first.
Jeremiah 33:3 - Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
Psalm 55:16-17 - As for me, I will call upon God; And the LORD shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: And he shall hear my voice.
Psalm 86:6-7 - Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; And attend to the voice of my supplications. In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: For thou wilt answer me. Hebrews 4:16 - Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
These passages and many others like them speak for themselves. Our God wants us to call on Him when we are in the storms of life. The question is do you see prayer as the first resource
or the last resort when the winds of life whip up around you? “CALM” in the storm must begin with calling on the Lord first!