Times of fear bring us face-to-face with God. They remind us that He has promised to be our shelter in time of storm. Psalm 61:3 says “For you have been a shelter for me.” Isaiah 25:4 says that “God is a refuge from the storm.”

How do I know He is my fortress until arrows are flying all around me and I run with all my heart to him?

How do I know He is my portion until all I treasure and hold dear is suddenly threatened? And I depend on him.

How do I know He is my Father until I feel orphaned or abandoned and alone in the storm?

How do I know, like Peter, that He is my deliverer until I step out of the boat and plant my foot on open sea?

Storms may sweep down on us from different directions, but no matter what the cause, they all work to reveal the same things; the nature of my faith, the strength of my commitment, the level of my maturity, the health of my attitude, the measure of my teachability.

Storms are times of revelation. Just as howling winds topple trees with shallow roots, storms underscore areas of our lives that need attention and growth. If you ever experienced a tornado, they can be very revealing-where is the best place to go in a storm? We have a basement or cellar as the best place to be in a tornado. As a Christian, I can tell you my hiding place is the unchangeable, uncompromising, eternal wall of God’s Word. Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not for I am with you; Be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Storms are times of restoration. Storms leave us with a list of things to fix. They help me to see and acknowledge the loose shutters, missing shingles and rotten fence posts in my life, while turning me back to the only one who can make the necessary repairs. In a storm remember one thing, keep your eyes on Jesus. 2 Corinthians 1:20 “For in Him, every one of God’s promises is Yes.”

I am reminded of those cartoon characters, Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. For a while the Coyote continues to pump his legs and actually runs on thin air as he had on the ground. Then suddenly he notices he has run off the cliff. He panics, holds up a little “SAVE ME” sign, and plummets thousands of feet to what would be the death of an ordinary coyote, but only leaves him with a few bruises, which are gone by the next frame. Apparently it wasn’t running off the cliff that did him in, but the fact that he noticed.

When Jesus rescued Peter from the storm and asked him why he doubted, I don’t think this was just an exercise in blaming. I think Jesus wanted Peter to learn from this experience so he could grow. Hope got Peter out of the boat. Trust held him up. Fear sank him.

We are limited, God is not. We know some things, God knows all things. We can do lots of things, God can do all things.

It was God in that manger, it was God in the carpenter’s shop, it was God on the cross. He had a body, a job and even grew up in a family just as we do. Here it is: the world says limitations are a weakness. Limitations cause depression. Limitations are of no value. Limitations are a handicap. Well, when the Lord walked on this earth, He depended and prayed to Father God. He waited on God’s timing and obeyed Father God. He showed us and He is the Lord.

If we were drowning, wouldn’t we ask for help? Well, I realized I was drowning in sin and hopelessness, so I recognized that and asked Jesus to help me and forgive me.

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” I can see His goodness, faithfulness and provision for my life and rest easily in his promises.