By: Bishop Dr. Etta Mhoon-Walker, Ph.D., D. Div.
Thursday Devotion and Prayer. April 20, 2023
“Confident Hope in the Storms of Life”“Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.” – Hebrews 10:35
There are days when it seems we’re in a storm at sea without any way to navigate our way out of it. Riding it out is the only way through. The Apostle Paul survived storms and shipwrecks and did not lose his way even though it took three ships to get him from Caesarea to Rome. In those days sailors used the stars for guidance, but on this journey by ship, a fierce storm blew up. The strong gale force winds forced them to use strong ropes to tie the ship together. Dark clouds covered the sun, moon, and stars for fourteen days. They threw away their cargo, which is like going to the bank to withdraw a large sum of money, ripping it up, and throwing it into the wind. The sailors did everything they could think of to survive but lost hope.
Storms of life often cause our hearts to quake with fear and disappointment. At times we see them on the horizon and other times they hit suddenly. These storms may be social, financial, physical, emotional, or spiritual. They place great pressure on us, and we often question our faith. But faith in God is the only thing that helps a believer during great troubles. The Apostle Paul is a great example for us. He faced imprisonment, shipwrecks, death threats, poverty, and great emotional distress. Yet, he had immense faith and knew with confidence God would provide rescue. God is with us. He doesn’t leave us to flounder. He makes a way possible when we face impossible situations. At times, he calms the storms, and other times, he calms us.
There was a time when we plunged into a deep season of sadness where life brought no joy, and everything seemed dark. We struggled with disappointment over the way God answered a prayer. Our expectations of His promises didn’t match what we experienced. We expected God to line up with our wishes and when He didn’t, we tumbled into a thorn bush of anger, cynicism, and doubt. The storm raged inward while we struggled in the darkness. The storyline of my life did not match the typical happy ending of my favorite movies. In my storm, I did the only thing I could think of—I read God’s word, but when I closed my Bible, I forgot what I read. So, I wrote Scripture verses on cards. I knew the only way to navigate my internal storm was to fix my eyes on the Word of God because I couldn’t trust my feelings to guide me. My feelings were like the storm raging across the sea of the ship Paul found himself on.
Like Paul in Acts 27:25, we can say, “Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.” Our confident hope is found in a faith planted deep in knowing God. To know him is to trust his promises stand even when our expectations fail. We can hold onto confident hope in the storms of life when we plant our confidence in who he is. He is our Bread of Life, Living Water, and the Great I Am. He is our anchor in the storm, our waymaker, and our shepherd. We can stand the storms of life if we do not throw away our confidence in him.
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for being with me. You are great and mighty, full of compassion. You see me in my hurt. I’m sorry for doubting your goodness to me in the middle of my storm. Please forgive me for turning away from hope in you because I can’t see you. Today, I choose to hold onto confident hope in you because you promise to never leave me or forsake me. I’m going to believe and live like it’s true. I trust you to guide me through this storm and fill me with hope. In Your son Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
