I can feel them building all around me. Storms. Great BIG storms. Why? Why in the world do we have to strive and struggle so much on this planet? Why are there sickness, Parkinson’s disease, accidents, break ups, let downs, and failures? Why does life have to hurt SO bad sometimes?

I have no clue. I mean, I understand that the Bible says that there will be these things and so, of course, there are. But let me tell you what I’m learning in the backseat watching these trials. EVERYTHING I read and EVERYTHING I hear tells us to take heart.

“Satan is a master at what he does, but he is not without limits. Listen carefully; if you belong to Christ, Satan cannot destroy you. The best he can do is to convince you that you’re destroyed. No beloved, you’re not. No matter what’s happened. No matter how foolish you’ve been. No matter how far you’ve gone. Wise up. The enemy is lying to you. Yes, he may have inflicted some tremendous losses. He did that to me. He may have even destroyed your job and torn apart some precious relationships–at least for now. But out of the unfathomable mercies of God, what you stand to gain if you’re willing to lift up your empty hands to him is astonishing.” (from Beth Moore’s “Get Out of That Pit” p.62.)

In fact, Colossians 1:9-14 spells this out in an even more succinct way. We are being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might that at the end of this storm that we gain eternity with the one who equipped us,

held us,

loved us,

led us.

After we weather this storm, prayerfully-victoriously, we GAIN Christ. We gain peace and wisdom. There is a rainbow after the storm. It may be in this life and it may only be in eternity, but there is a rainbow. I pray that I am that rainbow. More beautiful for having survived this, conquered this sin, lived victoriously in this life.

We can survive this storm.