5 Ways God Uses Storms

How to Survive the Storms of Life

What do you do when you...

• Lose a job, are fired, get laid off?
• Kids get arrested?
• Loved one dies?
• Your business files bankruptcy?
• Marriage on the rocks?
• Cancer diagnosis?

The storms of life come without warning and often without cause. 

How do we survive?
What do the storms teach us?

Read the story of when Jesus calmed the raging storm and saved the disciples from drowning on the sea.

Learn 5 ways God uses storms--setbacks, failures, crises, and tragedies in our life to make us stronger.

Mark 4:35-41  On that day, when evening came, He *said to them, "Let us go over to the other side."  36 Leaving the crowd, they *took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him.  37 And there *arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up.  38 Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they *woke Him and *said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"  39 And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush, be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. 40 And He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?"  41 They became very much afraid and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"

1. STORMS REMIND US OF OUR DEPENDENCE ON GOD.

Mark 4:39  And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush, be still."
And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.  

2.  STORMS REMOVE OUR PRIDE.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10  Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for
this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh,
a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself!  8 Concerning
this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. 9 And He has said to me,
"My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. " Most gladly, therefore,
I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.  
10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions,
with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

3.  STORMS RENEW OUR DEPENDENCE ON EACH OTHER.

2 Corinthians 1:9-11  indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that
we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead;  10 who delivered us from
so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He
will yet deliver us,   11 you also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks
may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the
prayers of many.

4.  STORMS REVEAL GOD’S ABILITY AND POWER.

Mark 4:41  They became very much afraid and said to one another, "Who then is this,
that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"

5.  STORM’S REMAKE US INTO MORE USEFUL VESSELS.

Romans 5:3-5  And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation
brings about perseverance;  4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character,
hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within
our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.