What is the meaning of Isaiah 4:6? And what do we do when we’re facing the storms of life? In this Bible study, we’ll uncover the message of this popular scripture and find out how to weather life’s storms with God’s help.
Let’s read this Bible verse about the storms of life together…
It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.
Life is Full of Storms
Every spring I wait with great anticipation for my irises to bloom. I look forward to seeing them sprout up, as they emerge from their winter slumber.
They belonged to my Granny, who I loved and admired so much. And they remind me of how her laughter could fill the room or how her homemade chicken and dumplings were the best around.
My heart is full of these memories. And I always feel like celebrating when that first iris opens!
But this year was a little different, the irises decided to appear on a cloudy, stormy day. The sky was gray and the wind was whipping around. Later, I found out a nearby town was hit by a devastating tornado.
The trees were uprooted, and homes were destroyed. It was a mess!
It’s not surprising to have tornadoes here in Arkansas and Oklahoma. Because we have a lot of them, but this one was unexpected.
Life is like that too, you just never know when a storm will be brewing.
In fact, if you’re not currently in the middle of one of the storms of life, you can bet one is just over the horizon and headed your way.
That’s because life is full of storms. But with a little resilience and a whole lot of faith, we can face the storms of life and come out the other side stronger.
So, today I’d like to talk about how to weather life’s storms.
The Purpose of Spiritual Storms of Life
There are three kinds of iris in my flower bed. Most of them are yellow with large blooms. Then there are the tiny blossoms of the small purple irises. But my favorites are the huge white ones.
I only have a few of them, but with their giant flowers, they’re showstoppers! What makes them so unique is that they have a special kind of beauty, one you have to look hard to see.
From afar, they’re completely white, but if you look closer you can see a faint hint of lavender peeking out from the center.
Finding the beauty in life’s storms can be just as difficult. You have to look closely to see it.
But the beauty is not in the struggle, it’s in the fact that there is a spiritual purpose in the storms of life.
God has something He wants to teach us, and He has put us in the eye of the storm for a reason.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Sometimes it’s hard to understand how God could cause all things, good and bad to work out in our favor. But because we have been called according to God’s purpose, He promises that they will.
Even if we can’t see it now, we can have confidence in God’s ability to use the storm clouds overhead to bring about good in our lives.
So, I encourage you to look closely at the storm you’re facing and discover what God’s purpose is.
Read More: Jesus is Our Firm Foundation Matthew 7:24-27
God is our Hiding Place and Shelter from the Storm
Every year there’s at least one tornado that destroys a neighboring city. In the aftermath of the storm, the only thing in a house left standing is usually the bathtub.
That’s why we have storm shelters in this part of the country.
If you don’t live in the Midwest, you may not be familiar with storm shelters. They’re big metal boxes buried underground with a door that slides shut. They protect us from tornadoes and give us a place to hide from the storm.
In addition to these shelters, we also have tornado sirens. They’re loud, really loud! When the wind picks up and they go off, that’s our cue to run to the storm shelter and hunker down until the storm passes by.
Isaiah 4:6 makes it clear, during life’s storms, God is our hiding place and shelter from the storm. He is our refuge in difficult times. And He’s the One we run to for protection when life becomes too much.
David knew this very well when he needed a hiding place from Saul. Here’s what he and wrote in the middle of his own thunderstorm of life…
Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, For my soul takes refuge in Thee: And in the shadow of Thy wings I will take refuge, Until the destruction passes by.
This inspirational Old Testament prayer of praise is an example of how we should weather any storm that blows through our lives.
What a comfort it is to know God, the Creator of the universe is ready to take us under His wings, give us a hiding place, and cover us with His grace.
As the storm rages on around you, run to Him and take refuge under His wings until the destruction passes by.
Read More: Trusting God Even When It Doesn’t Make Sense Proverbs 3:5-6
Jesus Calms the Storm
When one of life’s storms hits us, it may feel like we are being tossed around by the wind and rain with no end in sight.
Peter must have felt this way too during the storm on the Sea of Galilee.
And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately, Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
I’m sure we all know this story well, but sometimes it’s nice to be reminded to keep looking to Jesus.
Peter started out with his eyes firmly fixed on Jesus and his heart was in the right place. But then he stepped out onto the water and became scared and distracted by the storm raging around him.
The moment he took his eyes off of Jesus, he began to sink and drown. So, he cried out for Jesus to save him.
The Bible says immediately Jesus reached out His hand to help Peter. There was no waiting or begging, just immediate assistance from the Savior.
Just like Peter, we start out with our hearts in the right place and our eyes on Jesus.
Suddenly, we’re distracted by the hurricane-force winds of life. We began to sink under the crashing waves surrounding us. And we cry out for Jesus to save us before we drown.
So, He gives us the same immediate help He gave to Peter, and we turn our gaze to Him again.
Until the next storm hits. And we start the process all over again.
But no matter how many times we wind up in the eye of a storm, Jesus is always there with us in the middle of it all. And He is always willing to reach out His hand and pull us out of the deep water.
Thank you, Jesus!
Trusting God in the Storm
Luckily for us, storms don’t last forever. They blow in suddenly and leave just as quickly.
My irises may have been a little beaten down when the storm was over, but their beauty was still intact.
And life’s storms may spin us around like a tornado, but when they’re over, we’ll be just like those irises, standing tall with our beauty intact.
Jesus promised us that in this world we will have tribulation. So, there is no doubt storms are sure to come our way. But with God’s help, we can learn how to weather them all.
If you’re in the middle of a storm right now, I pray you’ll keep looking to Jesus! Because that’s how to weather life’s storms the Biblical way!
Christian Art Printables from Master’s Hand Collection
More Bible Studies from Master’s Hand Collection
I’ve begun to ask Him to speak to the storms that come against, Peace Be Still. I live in Ga. it is already hot, Those storms pop up at moment’s notice like spiritual ones can, so we need Him speaking to them.
Hi Rebecca! Yes, those spiritual storms pop up without warning. I love this thought you’ve offered, Peace Be Still. Praying this over you now.
I enjoyed your post. Thank you for the reminder of keeping our eyes on the Lord in times of storms as well as in smooth sailing weather. I discovered you by being a neighbor on Coffee For Your Heart linkup.
Hi Kathleen! I like how you put it, keeping our eyes on the Lord in smooth sailing weather. Thank you for sharing your thoughts today. Blessings!
What a great reminder that God is with us always and will go with us through every storm. He is faithful and we can trust Him to do what is best. It’s so important to keep our eyes on Him as we go through life’s difficulties and also when things are going well. Blessings to you! I’m your neighbor at #CoffeeforYourHeart.
Hi Gayl! Thanks for stopping by and for your kind words. God is faithful! Many blessings!