IN THE MIDDLE OF A STORM
(5-minute read)
Storms in life describe times of personal trouble, hardship, conflict and suffering that everyone experiences one time or another. They point to chaotic times when it is hard to discern fault lines in the face of unpleasant realities. To be sure, storms in life can be brought on by the poor decisions or wrong actions we made that impact those closest to us. Storms can also be a result of actions by other people that impact our ability to feel safe. Finally, there are storms permitted by God to teach or refine us.
Whatever storms we go through with God, we can be sure that He will keep us safe through each one. However, Scripture also makes it clear, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked; what we sow, we will reap.” (Galatians 6:7).
In the middle of a storm, what aspects of God’s nature become most salient to you? We turn to a particular portion of Psalms that was penned by a new generation of priests who were determined to separate themselves from the egregious behaviour of their predecessors displayed right inside the temple of God! (Yes, ministry cannot absolve us from irresponsible behaviours). They wrote Psalm 46:1-3 which describes a storm of biblical proportions - “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”
Let’s zoom into the statement - God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. It reveals 3 important truths about who God is in our storms:
GOD IS OUR REFUGE
A refuge is a secure area built to shield people from danger and harm for a period of time. We seek respite in a refuge, not permanent residence, so we don’t turn into a recluse. It is a physical reality, not a feeling or perception. Yet, even when we are inside a refuge, we can still feel unsafe - if we are unaware of God in that space with us.
However, to say that God is our refuge is quite different from saying that He is in the refuge with us. God is, in fact, space, time period, safety, protection and shield all at once. It is not our well-secured homes, our jobs, our European cars, our social connections, or any mental escape that can protect us the way God does.
Another Psalmist wrote, “I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:2). God doesn’t want us to only be safe, He also wants us to feel safe with Him. Therefore, His Word tells us “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10).
However, our feelings can often distort our realities and lead us to fear danger even when we are in a safe place with God. The enemy of our soul is particularly skilled and bent on making us feel unsafe with God. Therefore, we need to constantly remind the Enemy that as a defeated opponent, he is inferior to our God!
GOD IS OUR STRENGTH
Storms have a way of surfacing our innermost thoughts and anxieties. That’s why being present with people in the midst of their personal storms is different from hearing about it later, because we will observe things that their reports often conceal.
Nothing makes us more vulnerable than when we feel helpless in the face of situations that are out of our hands. It’s important for believers to know that God treasures our vulnerability and transparency. Our true selves are visible to Him because He sees through all our veneers.
The Apostle Paul spent his life struggling with private struggles that he called ‘thorn in the flesh’ (2 Corinthians 12:7). God’s response to him is recorded in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness… That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Over and over in his life, Paul experienced God’s unmatched and unparalleled strength.
On the other hand, some people today demand that God display His supremacy and power to stop storms as soon as they show up in their lives. It is an attitude that idolizes normalcy and avoids situations where they need to face their own helplessness. They miss the point that God strengthens our faith and spiritual resilience through our personal storms. Biblical strength is born out of, and not outside adversities.
Philippians 4:13 tells us, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” Note that it says ‘through Him’, not through grit and determination – both of which can take us a little further but not in any way that builds us up for the future.
GOD IS OUR CONSTANT ASSURANCE
God’s promise as our ever-present help never expires - whatever our age, level of maturity, or life experience. He offers a presence that is calming and unwavering, even when we struggle to see it at first. Therefore, it is especially important, during times of intense challenges, to hold on to the Word of God for restoring the promise of His presence with us. We also need to pay attention to what we tell ourselves.
Job faced multiple personal tragedies and plaguing skin disorder by anchoring his self-talk in God, “And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!... But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.’” (Job 19:26-27, Job 23:10).
Finally, Psalm 91:1 reminds us, “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”
Survivors of storms do not become heroes. Instead, we discover who God is: the One who is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
This is a summary and reflection based on a virtual BIR Session held on 19 July 2025.
