Look Again! Learning to See God in the Midst of the Storm

Scripture: Psalms 23:4

When it Looks like Hope is Lost, Find Your Hope in God

Have you ever driven through a storm? One of the hardest things to do in the middle of a bad storm is to see everything clearly. In those times, driving instructors would advise you to drive slower than normal and make sure your lights and windshield wipers are on. Sure, you have driven before, and maybe you are going somewhere that you have gone to before, but during a storm, you must take a few extra steps to see clearly. 

The same thing happens in your life. There are times when the storms of life seem to be extra heavy. During those times it can be harder to see and hear God. I am sure when the disciples were walking side by side with Jesus it was easy to see Him hear Him, but when the storm came, and He was being carried away to the cross it became a lot more difficult. 

Sometimes we just need a little bit of extra help to see Him. I learned this during one of the biggest storms of my life. It looked like all hope was lost, but I heard this whisper that beckoned me to look again. As I looked again (and this time looked for God), I realized all hope was not lost because God was not lost! In today’s reading from Psalm 23, King David recognizes that God is with him in the darkest valley. Let King David’s testimony be a reminder that God is also with you in life’s challenges. So today I pray that you hear that whisper beckoning you to look again. I pray that each day your vision gets a little clearer and you begin to see the hand of God and the hope that He brings even during all you are going through. 

Together, for the next few days, we will be adjusting our vision to see God moving in our life even during the storm. The pain may feel unbearable, but God is here! Life may not look as you expected, but God is here! Everything may feel like it’s crumbling, but God is here! You may feel alone, but God is here! 

Reflection questions:

1. What do you know to be true about God being our hope? 
2. How do you see the hope of God in your most difficult moments? 
3. How do you see the hope of God in your life right now? 

Prayer:

Dear Lord, help us to see you as our hope. Our circumstances may seem hopeless, but the truth is wherever you are there is hope. Help us to see you in the midst of the storm. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:8-10

When the Pain is Overwhelming, Look for the Almighty God

There are seasons of our life that feel unbearable. The emotional anguish and pain become overwhelming, and we feel like we have been overtaken by a current that has dragged us into a relentless sea. 

In this sea of overwhelm, everything seems dark and bleak. Perhaps the only hope you can seem to muster is the thought that one day you might escape this pain. But what if I told you that in the middle of this season of pain, God is there? What if I told you that you can open your eyes and see God in the midst of your valley? 

If you are anything like me, you may want to go through this season with your eyes clenched shut and your hands over your ears singing “la la la” in hopes that you can guard yourself against the pain if you withdraw or ignore it. Can I tell you something? You are going to look back at this season and see the hand of God. Just like God walked with Joseph as he was sold into slavery and thrown into prison for something he didn’t do; just like He walked with Moses when he was rejected and when it seemed that things were just getting worse. He is walking with you also, through the pain, through the trials He is there, and He is mighty. In today’s reading the apostle Paul is writing to the church in Corinth. He reminds them that although they are going through hard times and persecution God is with them. 

So, I challenge you, instead of waiting to look back, choose to look up while you are in a difficult season and see the hand of God. You don’t have to wait to see God in hindsight. You can choose to see Him TODAY! Right in the middle of the pain. When the pain is overwhelming, look for the almighty God! Because the truth is that no matter how great the pain, GOD IS GREATER! No matter how big the burden, GOD IS BIGGER! 

Reflection Questions:

1. What do you know to be true about the strength of God? 
2. How do you see that strength even in your most difficult moments? 
3. How do you see the hand of God in your life right now? 

Prayer:

Dear God, help us to see that you are with us in the midst of our pain and heartbreak. Help us to see your mighty hand. Help us to recognize that you are bigger than any giant and stronger than any mountain we may have in our life. Help us see you. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen!

Scripture: Proverbs 3:5-6

When it’s not What You Expected, Look for the All-Knowing God

Have you ever had a picture in your mind of how you wanted things to work out? Maybe you had planned out when you wanted to get married. Or perhaps you knew exactly when you wanted to have kids, or what job you wanted. I get it! I even had my children’s genders picked out along with their names. 

What may not have been part of your plan was the car accident, the job layoff, the years of singleness, the sick child, or the financial setbacks. I don’t know what it was for you, but I know the feeling of staring at your life and thinking, “This isn’t how things were supposed to go.” 

As a child, I played with Barbies almost every day. I could create the most intricate stories of Barbie’s amazing life. Her life was just as I had envisioned it to be. But after I put my Barbie Doll away and walked into the real world it seemed that nothing was as I expected. It was much darker than I thought it’d be. I was much more lost than I thought I’d be, and I yearned to retreat to my childhood room to play with my Barbies, where everything was under my control. In proverbs 3:5-6 we are reminded that God sees much further than we do. We don’t have to know the end from the beginning because He does. We don’t have to know all things because He does. 

When life is not how you expected it to be, look to the all-knowing God. Is He confused? No. Is He worried about the unknown? No. Are things beyond His control? No. Why? Because He knows everything. Even when things are not going as we expect we can trust that it has not caught Him off guard. Because He is all-knowing and we can trust Him to lead the way. 

Reflection Questions:

1. What do you know to be true about how much God knows? 
2. How does realizing God is all-knowing help you when life is not going according to your plan? 
3. In what ways do you see the plan of God playing out in your life right now. 

Prayer:

Dear God, help us to remember that you are the all-knowing God! Nothing catches you off guard. Help us to rest in this truth even during life’s unexpected twists and turns. We know, you have a plan, and you have not forgotten about us. Thank you, Lord! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Scriptures: Exodus 5:22-23, Exodus 6:1-4

When Your Life is Crumbling, Look for the God who Brings All Things into Being

In the book of Exodus, after the first time Moses talked to Pharaoh, everything got worse. The workload of the Israelites increased, and they were being beaten because they couldn’t keep up with the unrealistic expectations. If that wasn’t enough, the Israelites, at this point, hated Moses and blamed him for all the pain they were experiencing. After all this, God tells Moses to go back to Pharoah AGAIN! 

I imagine Moses felt like everything was crumbling all around him. I would have wanted to run away. Then, in the midst of the crumble, God introduced himself by a new name. A name not even Abraham knew him by. 

In Exodus 6:2, in the middle of everything crumbling God said to Moses “I Am the LORD”. The Hebrew word here is Jehovah which means the self-existing one, the one who brings things into being. Basically, God is saying it doesn’t matter if the whole world is crumbling Because JEHOVAH made the whole world! And out of something that looks like it’s crumbling He can bring forth life! 

Have you ever felt like the world is crumbling all around you? ME TOO! I remember clinging to a promise from God while my husband was going through serious surgery, our car was broken down, we had more bills than money, and the refrigerator was nearly empty as I tried to figure out what to feed our four children. I felt like life was ground up into little bits of sand as I fought to grab hold of the pieces as they floated away. 

It is so easy to get caught up looking at the crumbling pieces of life, but today let us look to Jehovah. He is the one who brings things into being. He can take what feels like destruction and from it, bring something new. So instead of staring at the broken pieces, desperately trying to put it back together like a jigsaw puzzle, let us give the pieces to Jehovah. The truth is that when life crumbles the old life is gone, but a new life is coming into being. 

Reflection questions

1. What are some things you know that God has brought into being? 
2. How does realizing God is THE Creator help you when you feel like your life is crumbling? 
3. In what ways do you see God creating something new in your life through your trials? 

Prayer:

Dear Lord, thank you for being who you are. Help us to really understand and accept that you are The LORD. You made the whole earth from a dark void. We know you can make something out of what feels like the crumbling pieces of our life. We trust you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Scripture: Deuteronomy 31:8

When you Feel Alone, Look for the God who will Never Leave You.

During these few days that we have been together, we have talked about all the ways that God shows up during difficult situations. He shows up as the Almighty God. He shows up as the all-knowing God. He shows up as the one who brings things into being. But just for a moment, can we sit in the truth that GOD SHOWS UP! In fact, He never leaves. 

When it feels like the pain is overwhelming, life isn’t how you expected, or your world feels like it’s crumbling to pieces, it is easy to start feeling alone. 

In Deuteronomy 31:8, Moses encourages Joshua as he prepares to lead Israel into the promised land. He tells Joshua that the Lord will never leave him nor forsake him. This promise rings true for you and me today. God walks with you through anything you will ever go through. Sometimes it’s hard to feel Him because the pain feels too great or the disappointment seems too deep. But close your eyes and remember all the ways He has been there before. 

God was there with Moses, even when Moses felt like everything was getting worse. 

God was there with the church in Corinth when they were being persecuted. 

God was there with Paul, even when Paul was not with God. 

God was there with David, even as he walked through the darkest valley. 

God didn’t leave them. He stuck with them through the ups and the downs. And God will not leave you. Your circumstances may cause other people to be uncomfortable. It is possible that other people may leave because they can’t handle the weight of the trial, but God will never leave. Nothing we could ever go through will scare Him away. The truth is He’s God, and He’s also our Heavenly Father. He’s not just obligated to stay; He stays because He loves us. 

Reflection questions:

1. What are some difficult seasons that God has walked with you through? 
2. How does knowing that God will never leave you when you feel alone? 
3. In what ways do you see God walking with you through what you are going through now? 

Prayer:

Dear Lord, please help us to see that you are always present with us, even in the midst of all of life’s trials. Help us to realize that no matter what it may feel like at any given moment, we will never walk alone. In Jesus’ name, Amen!