We all go through storms in life and we may not know why or what purpose they serve. However, when we look back through the Old and New Testament, we see God building great character in His servants by allowing them to go through such storms. God always has a purpose, and it is always for good! Order this sermon today: https://store.intouch.org/purchase/go…

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[Music]

with a message from God’s word here’s

Charles Stanley

all of us go through storms in our life

and sometimes we don’t understand

exactly why we do and where they’re

coming from and what it’s all about

and I was thinking about how many storms

I’d been through in my own life and then

I thought about

well back in the depression back about

29 30 31 32 I was born in 32 so I

thought well I was born in the storm in

fact I think my life’s been stormy ever

since

and then I was my first response would

be to complain about that then I thought

about as I thought through the

scriptures of God’s servants back in the

Old Testament the New Testament how many

storms that they went through in life

and what was it that built into them the

character that was there it was the

storms not Ease comfort and pleasure

so what I want to talk about in this

message is this and that is the storms

of life God’s purpose what are the

purposes for God allowing these storms

in our life and I want you to turn to

one verse that most all of us know by

heart but I want us to look at it

because sometimes we think everybody

knows these verses and they don’t and

sometimes we have quoted them so often

we sort of forget really what they

really say and we can sit off the top of

our head but Romans 8 verse 28 we all

know it by heart

but I want you to notice what Paul says

In this passage there’s one word that is

the key above all the rest and sometimes

we think it’s a phrase but I think it is

one word primarily he says and we know

that God causes all things to work

together for good to those who love God

to those who are called according to his

purpose now usually what we are

primarily interested in is when he says

all things

and so that’s the thing that gives us

the problem but the key word in this

whole passage here is this when he said

God causes

that assures me that God is

a part of

that he is involved in that he is behind

he is engineering the circumstances of

our life

so when he says God causes all things to

come to pass in our life all things to

happen according to his purpose and his

plan

sometimes we look at the all things and

we think how could all of these things

be but the all things really hinge on

the fact that is God who is causing them

so I want us to think in terms of this

whole idea of the storms we go through

in life and what’s their purpose God is

a god of purpose if you’ll start in

Genesis the first chapter you’ll find

God does nothing out of a second thought

he doesn’t respond to things by

happenstance and God is not a responder

God is an initiator and so when we look

at God God is a god of purpose and he

says that he is engineering all of our

circumstances according to his good

pleasure and to his Good Will and for

our good and for his glory and so when I

look at this passage and I think well

God how could this be and sometimes one

of the reasons we question some of the

things that God could be in is because

we look at the source of them and the

source of all the storms in life that we

experience are either storms that we

create ourselves or storms that God

initiates in our life or storms that

Satan initiates and whether they come

through certain people not or directly

from Satan doesn’t make any difference

if it’s a storm of doubt that just can

brew and how hard it may come strictly

from the devil or it may be some storm

that comes through others that Satan

initiates but the issue is the source

now I want to say this once twice and a

number of times

the most important thing I want us to

look at here is not the source of the

storm not the nature of it not the

intensity of it not the length of it but

rather what is the proper response what

is the proper response and that is the

most important thing is not the nature

of the source but how am I going to

respond to this storm no matter what the

source may be what is that response

going to be well you can look in some

people’s lives and see that storms

either destroy them or develop them it

either builds character and strength in

Christ’s likeness or somehow they falter

and fall aside and they lose their faith

or begin to question and doubt God and

walk away from his will and their life

sometime it is a process of equipping us

and preparing us for service when our

response is right and so

whatever the storm may be what you and I

want to know is what is the proper

response now in order for me to respond

properly one of the most helpful things

is this

if I understand the purpose if I

understand what God is up to In This

Storm that may be a storm in your family

it may be a storm in your finances it

may be a storm in your relationships

with people it may be a storm in your

health whatever the nature may be and

can take a thousand different turns

whatever it might be if I understand the

purpose then I’m going to be able to

more than likely respond more properly

so what I want us to dwell upon is this

what is the purpose what are the

purposes that God has in mind for

allowing or sending these storms into

our life now we said it could be

something God initiates it could be

something we we are responsible for or

it could be something that Satan does

directly or through someone else but the

real issue is what is God’s purpose I’m

going to give you five words I’m going

to ask you each time afterwards to give

me that word back so I want you to jot

them down write them down think about

them because I can guarantee you you’re

going to go through storms in your life

so if you can just think about him that

light the next time something comes

hurling at you or everything turns dark

and the waves begin to rise and the

winds begin to blow but I want you to

remember them because it is our

remembrance of them that what it will do

it gets us on balance when we’re about

to be thrown off balance in the midst of

the storm the first word is this because

this is one of God’s primary purposes

for sending allowing the storm now

remember what he said

God causes all things that work together

for good so it doesn’t make any

difference what the nature of the storm

is God’s intention is that it turn out

for our good first word is cleansing

because I do believe that so very often

if not always to some degree it may be

minor or major one of God’s primary

purposes for allowing or sending the

storms into our life is for the purpose

of cleansing us and you’ve heard me say

before before my mother passed away and

some months before that she was

suffering and even before that I was

done praying when a day and the Lord

just sent this phrase through my mind

the purifying work of pain now I thought

that was a sermon idea what I didn’t

realize is that it was the word of

Prophecy to me from God the purifying

work of pain that pain will purify your

life now I want you to turn to the 119th

Psalm because there isn’t anyone in the

Old Testament

that best describes analyzes and

seemingly understands God’s purposes in

these storms like David the 119th Psalm

is the very longest one you’ll recall

and there are two verses here I want us

to notice because David understood the

purifying work of pain he understood

God’s purposes for allowing the storms

in his life and you’ll recall that his

whole life was one storm after the other

even unto his death if you’ll notice the

67th verse of this 119th psalm

David says before I was afflicted

he says I went astray but now I keep thy

word thou art good and do as good teach

me thy statutes look if you will in the

seven the first verse he says it is good

for me that I was afflicted that I may

learn thy statutes the law of thy mouth

is better to me than thousands of gold

and silver pieces

he says in verse 75 I know O Lord that

thy judgments are righteous and that in

faithfulness thou has Afflicted me now

David understood that when God allowed

the storms into his life what did it do

there was a purifying process that went

on now why is that true because it is in

our difficulties in our hardships that

God surfaces attitudes he surfaces

habits he surfaces sins he surfaces

things in a life that we were not even

aware of

blind spots uh things attitudes in our

life that we weren’t even conscious of

sometimes things that we were and so he

oftentimes uses these storms to get our

attention to bring us to focus upon him

to get us back in line to get our

attention and most of us would have to

agree that very few times in our life

does God get our attention simply by

doing something good for us though

oftentimes he does and sometimes I am

overwhelmed and fall upon my own face in

Thanksgiving and praise for something

that God does that’s so good and so

overwhelming and so I feel so

undeserving about on the other hand

oftentimes it is a storm difficulty

hardship trial now I want you to

remember this there’s several things I’m

going to say over again because I want

you to remember this and that is when

God’s sins or allows the storm he never

sends them to sink us but to sanctify us

not to sink us but to sanctifiers God at

no time in no way under no condition

ever determines to destroy his children

in difficulty in hardship but rather to

develop us and so it is always for

sanctification and never to sink us now

to sanctify means to set us apart

there is a cleansing process that goes

on in sanctification whereby we are set

apart by God for the purposes of God and

fitted and suited for what God has

called us or equipped us to do so if you

can remember he doesn’t send the storm

to sink us but what the sanctify us and

that is it is for our good he says God

causes all things even the storms in our

life he says he causes these things to

come about in their life he Engineers

them for our good whatever cleanses us

whatever sanctifies us that is God’s

purpose and something good that is going

on so what does he do he uses these

storms when we get off track we get off

base he uses these storms to drive us

back to the right path to bring us back

to pull us back into himself always for

the purpose the right purpose the good

purpose and sometimes he’s chasing us

back onto the pathway of Holiness and

righteousness and obedience and if

you’ll recall the song

How firm a foundation he says when

through fiery trials thy pathway shall

lie my grace all sufficient shall be thy

Supply the flame shall not hurt Thee I

only design thy drost to consume but thy

gold to refine God is always in the

process of using anything and everything

he can to bring us into the Sanctified

condition that does not mean that we’ll

reach some stage of sanctification

whereby we’ll say now I have been

Sanctified and I am sinless no

sanctification is a period but

sanctification is also in a continuous

line it is something that happens when

you and I say that he sets us apart for

himself the sanctifying process goes on

all of our life because God is in the

process of equipping us molding us and

making us and so one of his primary

purposes for sending these things into

our life is cleansing what’s the first

one

cleansing the second one I want you to

jot down is companionship now you may

say well what in the world does

companionship have to do with the storms

in life

well it has a great deal to do with it

and I’m not talking about a

companionship of friends I’m talking

about what God’s greatest desire for

your life in my life if you and I could

ask him Lord what do you want from me

most of all here’s what he would say I

know this is true what he would say to

us is what I want most out of your life

is I want an intimate relationship with

you I want you to understand how much I

love you I want you to experience my

love I want you to love me in return as

I am transparent and open and revealing

myself to you I want you to be honest

and transparent and revealing of

yourself to me I want you to give

yourself to me because giving yourself

to me is the wisest thing you could

possibly do I want to bless you with my

very best I want to show you what I’m

really like I want to reveal myself to

you as God and what I want us to have is

an intimate relationship where you and I

not only God and son are children

father and son and daughter but we’re

friends God is Not only our father but

he is also our friend I want that

intimate relationship with you and what

is it that drives us to God most of the

time it’s not Ease comfort and pleasure

what drives us to God is hardship and

difficult in trial when are the times

that you and I learn the most about God

when do we experience his love when do

we joy in his forgiveness is it not in

our failures and our frustrations and

our anxieties is it not when we feel

like God we have blown it for good we’ve

blown it for sure we’ve we’ve suffered

this loss in our life it may be

Financial a relationship or whatever it

may be all these things that we

experience what is it that draws us to

him what is it drives us to him it is

suffering and pain and hardship the

storms of life

I don’t know if how Jesus could have

pictured this in a way that would be

more descriptive and Unforgettable than

this

he said for example in the 15th chapter

of John with his disciples he said I am

abiding in you and you are abiding in me

as the branch cannot bear fruit of

itself accepted about in Divine no more

can you accept you abide in me he says

I’m abiding in you and you and me here’s

what he’s saying he says as a branch has

been grafted into the vine and becomes a

part of it the sap that runs in the vine

runs in the branch now the two have

become one the vine and the branch this

is the way he sees us and that is in an

intimate relationship

a relationship that is more than just

reading my Bible and praying and going

to church and witnessing and giving my

money more than seeing God up in heaven

sitting upon his throne in all of his

majesty and might and power and here I

am down here walking in the Christian

Life and doing the best I can it isn’t

that at all it is God

bringing himself into a relationship

he’s the one who takes the initiative

that he wants us into this ever-growing

ever growing intimate relationship with

him what does he use to bring that to

pass he uses storms difficulty hardship

and trouble because what does it do it

causes us to flee to him and to hide in

him again David had the most awesome

understanding of this go back if you

will to Psalm 57.

in the 57th Psalm a wonderful Psalm of

assurance and there’s so many things

here that are worthy of our reading but

I just want you to notice a couple of

things in these first few verses

here he is talking about his difficulty

and you recall he went through one storm

after the other and he did not write all

these Psalms out in the uh Wilderness or

out in the fields keeping his sheep some

of them were hiding in caves of from

Saul and sometimes he was the king and

hardship and trial and storms in his

life in verse 1 of Psalm 57 he says 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 destruction until this

storm until Calamity passes by I will

cry to God most high I will cry to God

most high to God who accomplishes all

things for me he will send from heaven

and save me he reproaches him who

tramples upon me God will send forth his

loving kindness and his truth and he

says in verse 7 my heart is steadfast oh

God my heart is steadfast now what is he

saying

he says that God is his refuge and you

don’t remember the verse he says God is

our refuge and a very listen to this a

very present help in time of trouble

and I’m so glad he put present because

that means anytime there’s trouble any

times there’s a storm he’s present he is

a very present help in time of trouble

David knew what it meant to flee to God

and it was in that fleeing to him in

times of storm that he understood what

God would do for him notice what he said

he says I will hide under the shadow of

his wings turn to the 63rd Psalm Psalm

63 and again a couple of verses

here’s what he says in verse 6. and I

love this phrase when I remember thee on

my bed I meditate on thee in the night

watches you see he spent a lot of his

time in the evening in those early hours

in the morning in the dark speaking to

God listening to him thinking about him

talking to him listen to what he says

when I remember thee on my bed I

meditate on thee in the night watches

for thou has been my help and in the

shadow of thy wings I sing for Joy my

soul clings to thee thy right hand

upholds me look at that he said my soul

clings to thee thy right hand upholds me

that was an intimacy there was a Oneness

there was a sense of confidence there

was this awesome sense of Oneness when

he says my soul clings to thee have you

ever felt like you’d like to hug God

have you ever wished that the Lord Jesus

Christ for just for a moment in your

life was the physical human Divine being

that he is and

you could just walk up and put your arms

around him and hold him real tight and

just hear his heart beat against yours

well we can’t hug him physically but one

thing we can experience we can

experience him hugging us spiritually

and the Lord Jesus though he is see the

father’s right hand and in the Holy

Spirit living on the inside of us he can

place his loving arms around us we can

experience this awesome sense of Oneness

we can experience this deep abiding

intimacy with him and there are times in

my life when I exactly want to do that

Lord I just want you to hug me I want

you to put your arms around me and just

remind me this morning that you love me

so very good so unconditionally so

unendingly so unchangeably and so

absolutely adequately and sufficiently

and he is so willing to love us in such

a way that we are aware of that

what is he after in our life

companionship with us listen he doesn’t

need anything that you and I have he

doesn’t need us to do anything for him

what he wants from you and me there’s

not anybody else in the world that’s a

substitute for us

he can get someone else to do everything

you and I do he can’t get anybody to

love him in our place he can’t get

anybody to be a substitute for us to

have an intimate relationship with him

because that’s why he created us

and when I look at these verses from

David and realize what he’s saying here

he says my soul my soul clings to thee

thy right hand upholds me

what is he saying he’s saying that he is

absolutely sufficient now what is it

that teaches us that

what teaches us that he’s sufficient

what it what is it that drives us into

that intimate relationship and

fellowship with him and you see God is a

jealous God

he is a jealous God now when we read the

scriptures and we say well God is a

jealous God that sounds like God’s

sinning no here’s the kind of jealousy

he has when he says he’s a jealous God

here’s what he means anything that

competes

in our life without love and Devotion to

him he’s jealous of that he does them on

anything in their life competing with

our love and devotion and loyalty and

faithfulness to him nothing

and so whatever is there that does he is

going to begin the work at it to remove

it

and so sometimes he allows the storms to

come sometimes he initiates the storms

but God is going to work at everything

that competes with that love and that

loyalty and that Devotion to him he’s a

jealous God now that doesn’t mean that

we’re not to love other people it

doesn’t mean that we’re not to be loyal

and faithful to others and loving and

devoted to them it does not mean that

you and I cannot experience pleasures

and joy and happiness and fun in life it

doesn’t mean any of that but it means

that everything else must take its

secondary place there is nothing in life

that can be allowed to compete with our

love and loyalty and Devotion to Jesus

and so what happens when a person gets

out in left field and gets the playing

with the world and all of a sudden their

interest in worldly things begins to

begins to rise in their life and God God

is blessing them financially on their

wealth or something and what happens is

they are loyalty and devotion that Jesus

begins to fade and they begin to get

interested in other things whether it’s

television sports you name it whatever

it might be

I’ll tell you God is coming and he is

going to send whatever is necessary to

get our attention to remind us what he

wants is us he wants our undivided

loyalty loving devotion because his goal

for our life is companionship what is

the third word the third word is

Conformity now you say well what does

that have to do with storms it has

everything to do with it I want you to

look if you will to the 29th verse of

Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8 and

this 29th verse listen to what he says

everybody is familiar with the 28th

verse but the 28th verse is a

predecessor to verse 29 verse 29 rest on

verse 28 he says in verse 28 we know

that God is causing all things to work

together for good to those who love him

to those who call according to his

purpose for whom he foreknew he also

predestined to be conformed to the image

of his son now what’s his goal his goal

is to conform us to the lightning of his

son that is to build christ-like

character into our life

and so what is he up to he sends those

storms into our life initiates them or

allows them in order to accomplish what

his goal is now what is his goal

well when you and I became a Christian

we were like jewels in the rough I mean

really rough some a little rougher than

others but we were in the rough and so

from the moment we trusted Jesus Christ

as our personal savior we stepped into

the circle shall we say of God’s

predestined will now listen this

Sovereign God of ours who knows all

things and has all power there is not

anything anything that can snatch us out

of his predestined Circle so when you

not trusted Jesus Christ as our savior

we stepped into this predestined Circle

that predestined Circle says you and I

will be conformed to the likeness of

Christ we will be so from the moment you

and I trust him as Savior God sets in

motion those things that are necessary

to conform us to the likeness of Christ

now what is he referring to he’s talking

about the character of Jesus Christ and

so his goal is that you and I would so

live our lives that the character of

Jesus would be displayed that would be

demonstrated would be exhibited in our

life

now when you demonstrate Godly character

before some people they don’t like it

but for some people they don’t like

Godly character they don’t like Christ’s

likeness first of all it rubs them the

wrong way and sometimes if they’re

backslidden they can’t stand it secondly

if they’re lost it reminds them of what

ought to be going on in their life and

so they have a difficult time with it

but that’s God’s goal now Christ’s

likeness what are we talking about are

we talking about us getting better and

better and better no are we talking

about us straightening up and so forth

no we’re talking about Jesus the very

life of Jesus within us we’re talking

about that life being released through

us we’re talking about the spirit of God

as we yield to him as we surrender to

him as we acknowledge Him as we depend

upon him we’re talking about the spirit

of God exhibiting demonstrating speaking

working a living through us the Life of

Christ the life of love and joy and

peace and goodness and self-control and

faithfulness in all the fruits of the

spirit we’re talking about a life of

service we’re talking about Jesus living

through your body and mind we’re talking

about these lives of ours that belong to

God created by Him and for the very

purpose of demonstrating and living This

Life of Christ and so what happens he’s

going to sin into our life whatever

storms are necessary to do what sand and

sift and sculpture and prune in order to

do what in order that the christ-like

spirit within us may be more and more

demonstrated over and over and over

again so where does it start starts at

Salvation where does it end when you and

I take out last breath

you mean to tell me that God’s going to

work on me till the day I die absolutely

why is he going to do that because he

loves you so much he’s not going to

leave you where you are

he’s not going to leave any of us where

we are spiritually now to some people

that’s threatening but when I think of

it I think about Hallelujah you think

about how many of you have been

Christians since you were teenagers

all right how many of you well aren’t

you glad you aren’t where you were then

spiritually absolutely none of us want

to be where we were spiritually we were

teenagers well so if you aren’t where I

used to be that means that God didn’t

leave you where you were as a Teenage

and he’s been moving you along now how

many of you are glad you’re not where

you were 10 years ago right

how many of you don’t want to ever want

to be back there where you were

spiritually amen all right if you don’t

want to be then what you’re saying is

God I agree with you keep moving Me on

he says fine that’s what I was going to

do anyway he doesn’t have to ask our

permission to move us on or not so what

does he do he moves us on and he sends

into our life and allows into in our

life those situations and circumstances

that are necessary to conform us to his

likeness sanding and sifting it is being

out there in the storm on those seas and

we are asking God lord what in the world

are you up to and so sometimes when the

storm is extremely extremely intense

when the pain is awesome we thank God I

can’t handle anymore we say to him Lord

how long are you going to leave me in

this you know what he says that’s not

the right question the right question is

not how long am I going to leave you in

this the right question is what are you

going to get out of this that is God’s

question because you see what he wants

out of every storm is Godly character

what he wants is the very life of Jesus

to be exhibited in and through our lives

and so one of the primary reasons that

he allows and sends storms into our life

is for that purpose and that is

that you and I would have christ-like

character remember what I said in the

very beginning the key is not the source

of the storm the key is not the

intensity of it the length of it it’s

not how dark and how painful it is the

real key to it is how do I respond in

the storm everybody is going to respond

to their storms in certain ways we will

respond in a fashion that develops us

and equips us or we’ll just respond in a

fashion and be getting bitter and

resentful and hostile and angry and what

we do is we ultimately self-destruct and

we put ourselves in a position where God

cannot use us the fourth word is

conviction he said what does that have

to do with storms in life it has a great

deal to do with these storms because if

you will think about your life and think

about the things that you believe every

single one of us has a belief system now

the atheist has his belief system he

doesn’t believe in God he doesn’t

believe in Jesus he doesn’t believe in

in the Bible doesn’t believe in

spiritual things he only believes in

sort of what he can see and feel and

touch and so he’s got his belief system

which we know is an absolute disaster

because in his belief system there’s no

Assurance there’s nothing that is

unchanging there’s nothing to have

confidence in that there’s no hope for

the future there’s no such thing as

eternal life and so the atheist belief

system is a horrible mess and these

folks say well my philosophy of life if

your philosophy of life does not begin

with Christ my friend the foundation is

missing

if it doesn’t begin with the Lord Jesus

Christ there’s something missing in life

what’s missing is the very Foundation of

it so when we talk about conviction all

of us who are believers have a belief

system there’s certain things we believe

we believe the Bible is true there are

some people who believe the Bible has

errors those of us who know better are

grateful to God that we know better

because if we believe it has errors then

where are the errors well either we have

to depend upon somebody else to point

out the arrows and how do we know that

they know what the errors are there not

and if we don’t believe in somebody else

that can do it we have to choose whether

we’re going to believe in them ourselves

or not and so we decide we’ll pick out

the arrows well how much assurance and

confidence that you have in the Bible if

you happen to go through and say I

believe this I don’t believe that I

believe these five pages I don’t believe

this well what an absolute collapse of

faith that would be but we all have a

belief system now

all of us have been taught many things

when I asked you a few moments ago how

many of you grew up in church or going

to Sunday school almost everybody in

here raised their hand so you have been

taught from your childhood and some of

that teaching was your parents some of

it were pastors some of it was Bible

teaches some of it was evangelists who

came through but you have a belief

system that’s developed over all these

years now some of these things I mean

you a do or die you know they’re

absolutely true

and a lot of things you and I can speak

with our mouth and we say I do believe

these things and if I were to give you a

test you believe in the Virgin birth you

believe in the resurrection believing a

lot of these things yes I do absolutely

no question about it but you see one of

the things is you never have to test the

Virgin birth

I mean you don’t have to test that

you’ve been in the resurrection of Jesus

you don’t have to test that the Bible

states that you’ve already settled that

issue in your mind you believe in the

resurrection why because the word of God

says so you believe in the Virgin birth

yes the word of God says so you believe

Jesus is coming again yes why because

the Bible says so so we could go down a

long list of things that God has said

now but let’s get down to some things

that are practical when it comes to our

daily living

do you really and truly believe

that God will supply all of your needs

according his richness and Glory by

Christ Jesus you really and truly

believe that you believe when you go

through a financial problem in your life

and you haven’t either God Will Supply

do you believe that God really and truly

uh hears all of your prayers do you

believe that he really and truly protect

you

all these things that you and I believe

about so much in the scriptures do you

really believe that yes I do well why do

you believe because the word of God says

so then

then what happens I mean this storm

begins to ruin your life and I mean the

clouds of dark the waves are high the

water’s deep and I mean the winds are

blowing and it’s painful and horrendous

and you’d like out and you’d like to get

in a in a raft and you want to head the

other direction then let me ask you well

I mean when everything breaks loose upon

you then what do you believe about this

God of love

whom you have said to others that you’ve

trusted him as your personal savior then

what do you believe about Romans 8 28 my

God is engineering all of my

circumstances for my good when I’m

hurting so bad and I’m so painful and

I’m so been out of shape and I don’t see

any hope and I feel so helpless and so

distraught and everything is so

endlessly absolutely dark where is this

God whom I love is he the same God he is

when everything is going my way

how does this belief system become so

real in me listen that it begins to

govern my responses to life

only when I am tested and tried and

proved by our experience these things

are true

you see as long as somebody is giving

you everything in the world you want and

everything you need how will you know

that God is followed your needs

according riches and Glory by Christ

Jesus

you say well you know I’ve got it all

I remembered speaking by the lady about

a month or so before she died and here’s

what she said to me a very very wealthy

woman she said you know

I didn’t and she wasn’t she was in her

40s early 40s she said

I grew up with everything I ever wanted

she said until this happened to me I

didn’t even know what suffering was all

about I didn’t even know that anybody

had needs she said I have been so cared

for in my life it never dawned on me

that anybody was hurting anyone was

suffering or anybody had any she says

I’ve had it all

you know when she began to understand

what God was about when all of her

wealth could not heal her

when all of her friends could not heal

her

when all of her prominence and preached

the age and Society acceptance could do

absolutely nothing to her she was driven

to this God and she said I’ve always

believed in God

but now

she says I am afraid

now I find myself waking up in the

middle of the night trembling because

I’m scared I’m scared to die and I know

I’m going to

you see

when it comes to living you and I our

whole belief system

whether it’s real or not it’s whether

it’s been tested now some things like

the Virgin birth the coming of Jesus and

those Doctrine questions we’re not

talking about that we accept those by

faith but we’re talking about who God is

in our personal life who is in other

people’s lives of what we can say to

other people

can we say to them with conviction

here’s what God will do in your life

and at the first service a couple came

forward sweet wonderful couple one of

the one of the families in that church

whose son has leukemia

and just thanking me and weeping for

this message that they’d heard because

they are hurting very very very deeply

they’re learning something about God

they’re learning something about their

love for their son they’re learning

something about themselves that they

would never learn any other way none of

us like storms I’m not saying that God

sent that storm into their life but he’s

allowed it

and they are wise enough and godly

enough to know that their hope is to be

found in Jesus and he is their only

salvation their only rescue and the only

one who can heal their son and the only

one who can sustain them he’s the only

one who is the source of their strength

in a storm in which they are totally

helpless to change

and there are many storms in life like

you and I were out in the middle of the

Atlantic of the Pacific in a life wrath

no longer than eight feet long and no

paddles and listen and the waves are 10

feet high and the sky is black and

there’s those Stars anywhere and we

don’t know where we are and we can’t see

our hand in front of us then where is

our God

I’ll tell you where he is he’s where

Hallelujah he’s always been right in our

heart

why does he sin and why does he allow

the storms here’s what he does in order

to demonstrate his faithfulness to us in

order to show us how real and practical

and personal he is God allows these

storms in our life that what we believe

well it’s not just something in our head

and not just something in our heart not

just in our emotions but something in

our very being something in our spirit

that we can stand unquestionably we can

stand Against All Odds and we can stand

against all all doubts and all fears and

say this is who God is this is what he

will do in your life this is how he

operates this is not only what he says

this is what he will do

and when people get into hurts and

storms in life what are they looking for

they’re looking for someone who read a

book no they want to hear someone who’s

hurt they want to hear someone who

suffered they want to hear someone who

has basic convictions built on

experience personal intimate deep

abiding tried experience with God

somebody who’s been in the furnace

somebody who’s been tossed on the Seas

as the Apostle Paul

so where do we go we go to the Psalms we

rush to the Psalms because David’s life

was one storm after the other in the New

Testament we rush to the Epistles

because the life of Paul from the moment

he was saved his life was one continuous

unending storm after the other

why do we turn to the Epistles and why

do we turn to the Psalms because we want

to hear from Men of God who have been in

the storm and who’ve been tested and

tried and we know that what they say is

not something they read but something

they experienced this is why we go to a

man like the Apostle Paul who sat in the

prison and talked about the joy of the

Lord here’s the man who said my God will

supply all of your needs here’s the man

who said I can do all things through

Christ who strengthens me here’s the man

who said the things that brings me the

most Joy is watching your faith being

built up

it was the storms in his life that

brought him

to the place of saying my God is

sufficient and there’ll be times in the

storms when all of us are fearful for a

moment

because we’re having to grasp and to

catch hold of this anchor and remind

ourselves our God is sovereign

and he has never left us in a storm it’s

when families and with difficulty and

hardship and trial and suffering and

loss of their loved ones it’s when they

walk to the storm and then they put

their hand on your shoulder and say to

you

I do understand how you feel

I do understand what you’re going

through

I do understand how you hurt

I know what it means to weep and I know

what it means to feel lonely and I know

what it means to be alone

and how often times uh men will say

my wife died she’s gone

and she did everything for me and I

don’t know what to do or a woman will

say the same thing my husband did

everything and I didn’t do anything and

now I I feel so helpless and so hopeless

it is in those times when God who has

been there all along

and you have people depending upon other

people you see God wants us in such a

relationship with him so intimate with

him

that we always know he’s there

and what do these storms do these storms

make our convictions absolutely a vital

integral part of our life for example

with Peter

would he ever have learned how much

Faith he had well listen he’d been

fishing in that water all of his life

you throwing that and it’s going down

you throw a rock and it’s going down he

probably weighed 140 50 67 to 200 who

knows how much he weighed but he knows

that every time he’d ever stepped on

water he went down

he’s swam in it but he didn’t walk in it

how would he ever have known that he had

enough Faith to step out on water not in

water had there not been a storm that

night

how would the Apostle Peter ever learned

how fearful he was is he not the one who

said Jesus you can trust the rock all

the rest of these disciples May desert

to you but you you can put your faith in

the Rock I’ll be there when they’re all

gone

how would he ever have learned how

fearful he was as a man in the garden he

pulls out a sword whacks off an ear he’s

ready to go to battle he’s ready to die

and I don’t question that he would have

laid down his life immediately

unmistakably clearly lovingly before

Jesus fighting off those Roman soldiers

he would never have hesitated one moment

so why would he ever believe that he’d

be fearful and disloyal to Jesus how

would he ever believe that he would ever

deny the Son of God I’ll tell you it was

in the storm of the trial and the arrest

of Jesus it was in that awesome storm

that night that that he stood around the

fire and said to a teenage girl

I don’t even know that man

how would he have known about himself

had he not been in that storm you see

storms revealed things about us that we

wouldn’t discover any other way

how would he have ever known that Jesus

Christ oh he knew he was the Messiah and

he’d watched them raise people from the

dead and heal the sick and these kind of

things how would he have ever known that

this Christ

not only could do that but he could walk

on water and not only could he walk on

water he could just simply say

shh stop raining

the seed die instantly

and it became

like Silk like glass

how would he have ever known that had he

not been in that storm that night how

would the Apostle Paul ever have known

the adequacy and the sufficiency of

Christ in a storm that would not let up

a thorn in his side that God would not

remove how would he ever have known the

sufficiency of God

only in the storm of hurt and pain and

suffering how would it ever have known

the faithfulness of God except he was

out he says in the Deep three times in a

Shipwrecked day and night beaten with

rods beaten uh with stripes 39 times he

says often

how would he ever have known the

sustaining power of God had he not gone

through that and if you look in the

second Corinthians chapter 11 his

biographical sketch of all the storms in

his life it’s one storm after that he

says dangers from robbers dangerous from

Wilderness dangerous from this dangers

from that the oppression of the churches

all of these things how would he have

ever known how absolutely awesome God is

to one individual had he not been thrown

in the storms and how would you and I’ve

been so encouraged had we not read it

about him

in the scriptures

one of the primary purposes for the

storm is to deepen and strengthen our

conviction and listen you and I can say

to other people we can quote this verse

there’s a piece that surpasses all human

understanding that a guard and keep our

hearts in Christ Jesus you know when I

know that’s true I can tell you I know

it’s true because the word of God says

it but you know when you and I can speak

with conviction when we have nothing

left but God himself when there is

absolutely nothing around us offering

peace and we still have that awesome

sense of Peace the storm is torrential

the waves are high the water is deep and

the sky is black and the winds are

Furious

and somehow there’s a piece that abides

within you cannot explain

how would you ever know that if you

didn’t get thrown in the storm you would

not the fifth word is comfort

I want you to turn if you will to II

Corinthians and look if you will in that

first chapter second Corinthians chapter

one

Paul begins this book calling God the

God of all comfort and listen to what he

says

second Corinthians chapter 1 verse 3.

now listen carefully to this he says

blessed be the God and father of our

Lord Jesus Christ the father of mercies

and God of all what

comfort

who comforts us and I want you to watch

two words who comforts us and what

all our Affliction so that we may be

able to comfort those who are in

any Affliction or all affliction

with the comfort with which we ourselves

are comforted by God now he says

God comforts you and me in our stormy

times in order that we may do What to

others that we may Comfort others now

listen to what he said he says this God

Comforts Us in how many of our

afflictions all of them in order that

you and I may be able to comfort others

and how many of theirs all of theirs and

he says for just as the sufferings of

Christ are ours in abundance so also our

comfort is abundant through Christ but

if we’re Afflicted it is for your

comfort and salvation or if we are

comforted it is for your comfort which

is effective in the patient enduring of

the same sufferings which we also suffer

that’s what he said he said one of the

reasons that God sends storms into our

life he Comforts us and in comforting us

what does he do he equips us listen

storms are God’s tools storms are God’s

training periods in our life it’s his

training periods it is his Tools in our

life to do what in order to equip us it

isn’t enough for God just to comfort us

and to strengthen us but God also wants

to use us he wants to do something

through us and so it’s not enough that

God would just allow these storms in

their life in order to do something and

build character in our life but as you

and I learn to hurt learn to suffer

learn to experience pain listen not

always trying to escape and run from him

but God you said you are

causing all things to work together for

good so God you must be causing my storm

to work for good in my life and so I

want to thank you for that Lord what are

you teaching me in this and father how

can I now be a comfort to someone else

let me ask you when you’re going through

difficult and hardship do you want

someone to say well I’m just going to

pray for I’m going to pray for you

listen I’ll pray for just don’t worry

about it I’m just going to be praying

for you thank you very much you don’t

want that somebody Pat you on the show

and say I know how you understand I know

how you feel no they don’t

you and I know when someone says to us

I know how you’re hurting

you can’t hide it listen when you say it

out of your own previous hurts you don’t

have to convince anybody they know that

why does God allow storms in our life

listen carefully and I don’t miss

anything I’m going to tell you

he allows these storms in our life

because you and I

listen to this are the living

walking expressions of Jesus on this

Earth

and so people see in us how we respond

to storms and secondly

when the storms hit them they are going

to find someone whom they believe knows

enough about the storm that they have

been they’re going through they’re going

to find you

and they’re going to ask you how you

survived it

you see sometimes we think difficulty in

hardship and trials and suffering and

pain and failing and all this kind of

stuff we think somehow that disqualifies

us and we ought to be perfect there’s no

such thing as a perfect person

not a single one of us

two of my friends Pastor friends

one of them’s

son became very very rebellious this

went on for a number of years

finally he committed suicide it was a

terrible terrible experience for that

family

I said to him one day I said

tell me how you went through all of that

and he shared his hurt

his pain his suffering his loss thousand

times he asked himself God what should I

have done what mistake did I make why

couldn’t I have seen this so he went

through all that

I said to him how did your people

respond

he said how many daddies came to me and

said

you know your son when he was growing up

was a fine kid

he said but now you know how I hurt as a

dad

you know how we hurt his families now

now you know how we hurt when we tell

you what’s happening to our children and

we’ve lost them with drugs

and alcohol and they’ve run away and

they’ve turned away from the faith now

you know how

we feel now we know when you speak you

speak out of pain hurt suffering and

Truth

that you have experienced not that

you’ve just read

one of my other Pastor friends had two

daughters and a son

and fine children growing up

and one of these girls became a team

when she got to be a teenager I mean she

blew it badly caused lots of friction in

the family but more friction in the

church and it was just a total disaster

I said to my friend who is a very

outstanding Pastor I said tell me how

did you respond to that because you saw

yourself losing your daughter how did

you respond

he said I hurt and I bled and I cried

and he said I asked myself a thousand

questions what did I do wrong how should

I have done this and he said you know

what you always think back what could

you have done this at the other

I said

how did your people respond

he said the mothers

came to my wife and came to me primarily

and some of the dads and said now

you know how we feel

your children were so perfect growing up

and you talked about the family and how

had ought to operate

and here we were sitting out there

knowing

you’ve not been tested you’ve not been

tried you’ve not felt the bleeding and

the hopelessness and the Lonely Nights

when you didn’t know where your kids

were and you knew

they were out there drinking

driving life in danger on drugs sex and

all the rest now you know how we feel

now we can listen a little bit more

intently

listen carefully

God allows pain

hurt suffering trials in our life for

what reason not only to cleanse us and

all these others but in order to equip

us to be able to hurt with people

whom we meet and we can say to them with

genuineness with conviction

and with an awesome sense of influence I

do know how you feel I do know how you

hurt I do know what pain is all about

storms were never sent to sink us

storms are allowed in order to do what

to sanctify us

and to make us more capable and more

equipped

to be what valuable strong

Servants of God doing what making a

difference in the hearts and lives of

people who are hurt because

every single child of God

is to be a walking exhibition of the

Life of Christ and what was he doing

coming to me all you get laid under

heavy laden I’ll give you rest

he was always reaching out to comfort

and to strengthen

and so that is our responsibility

and I want to challenge you whatever

storms you’ve been through in your life

if you don’t analyze what happened

and ask yourself the question what did I

learn what has got in the process of

teaching me and then to remember you

don’t keep that to yourself God used

that as a training time he uses it as a

tool in order to equip you to be a

servant to someone else

and now father we thank you that nothing

is wasted when we respond in the right

fashion your goal is not to sink but to

sanctify

and as you send these things into a life

that cleanse us

send these things into our life with

this ultimate purpose of conforming us

to your likeness drawing us into a

companionship with you that we’d never

known before

working in our life in such a fashion

that our convictions are deepened

and we become equipped to be valuable

effective fruitful productive Servants

of God we love you father but loving us

and sustaining us through these things

and I pray that many who hear

this message today will find strength as

they begin to understand we’ll turn to

Jesus and recognize that he is the

source of the strength I pray for those

who ought to be a part of this

Fellowship growing in the Lord

understanding the ways of God

and becoming valuable tools and vessels

of God may it so be today as my prayer

in Jesus name amen