Fear not for I am with you; be not dismayed for I am your God, I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.     Isaiah 41:10 ESV

It’s so easy to praise God and brag on His goodness when things are going well. We all know, however, that in life we will face highs and lows. There will be peaks and valleys. God is consistent. Even when things are not going well, we know He is working things out for our good (Romans 8:28).

We see others doing evil deeds and it is easy to think they are getting away with all they have done. It’s easy to wonder where is God? Why is He allowing us to suffer? We are never promised smooth sailing. We know we will go through storms in life.

God’s ways are higher than our ways, His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). I have found myself in situations and wondered what on earth was going to happen to me. I have found myself worrying about the outcome. It took me many years to realize God’s got this. I have no need to worry.

I will confess, however, there are times I let my worrying get the best of me. I am not proud of this, but I’m keeping it real. It happens. I have learned to do my best to praise God during these times. I try to praise Him and let Him know I trust in Him. I know He is working behind the scenes. He works to bring all things together for my good. I know this because I love Him and do my best to live the way He wants me to live. I try to do the work He has called me to do.

Over the last few years, I have found myself in a number of spiritual storms. I often wondered why it was taking so long for God to get things worked out. When the wind ceased, the water was smooth and the sun came out, it was able to under why this storm had raged so long.

Most of the time, I find the answer. God let the storm rage in order to make things fall perfectly into place. He let the storm rage in order to grow us and strengthen us. When He brings calm and order, His timing is perfect.

My most recent storm raged on way longer than I ever imagined. I praised God through the storm. See, I learned from my last few storms to praise God while I wait. I learned to serve Him while I wait. I learned to do the work He assigned me to do while I wait.

It’s my job to do the work God has assigned to me. It’s God’s job to take care of me. And let me tell you, He does a great job. If you are going through a storm, praise Him trust in Him and His perfect timing. Know He’s got you. He will uphold you with His righteous right hand.

Don’t focus on the storm, focus on God. When Peter saw Jesus walking on the water, he wanted to do the same. Jesus called him out of the boat. As long as he focused on Jesus, he did well. He began to sink when he focused on the wind and the waves (Matthew 14:22-31).

Focus on Jesus. Praise Him. Trust in Him. He will bring you safely through the storm.

Have a great day!