I once heard a story of a woman who became alarmed when a slight hail storm began in her area.  The hail was initially pea sized but eventially became as large as golf balls.  So she ran into her daughter''s room to comfort her and keep her from being afraid.  To her amazment, her little girl was laughing with excitement.  To the little girl, it seemed God was simply throwing down some ice cubes from Heaven!  The mother soon joined in with her laughter but later when saw the damage to the roof of her house, she was horrified.  However, she shouldn''t have been because the damage was all covered by her homeowner''s insurance and she received a new roof that was better than the old one.  The storm had been a blessing in disguise.

Life is often like that.  Depending on our perspectives, we can see the storms of life as something that will harm us or something that will ultimately bless us.  From the homeowners perspective, the storm had become a blessing.  From the insurance company''s perspective it was a curse.  From a roofers perspective it was a bonanza and from the little girl''s perspective it was a joyful demonstration of God''s power.  The same storm viewed through different perspectives.

Is it possible that there are storms in our lives where our perspective may not match God''s?

Even so, during those times when we can''t understand the storms in our lives, we can trust God and praise Him in our darkest hours.  How?  By believing and confessing His Word.  "All things will work together for the good of those who love God and are the called according to His purpose." (Romanss 8:28)  When we believe this we can cast all our cares and anxieties on Him because He truly does care about us.  (1 Peter 5:7)

As we begin a new year, there may still be left-over storms from prior years or new storms yet to be faced.  No matter what the circumstances, God hasn''t changed and His love is everlasting.  Rest in knowing that this too shall pass and those who trust in God will never be ashamed to have placed their faith in Him.  If Jesus is in the storm with you, you have no reason to fear. Trust God.

"So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.  Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”  (Mark 4:36-41)