We often evaluate how closely we are walking with God by our circumstances. For instance, something bad occurs and we immediately think, “God must be paying me back for some sin of the past.” Or, “I must have displeased God in some way.” We’d be wise not to judge our circumstances so quickly.
Some “storms” are meant to discipline us. The rebellious prophet, Jonah, refused to obey what God told him to do. So God disciplined him through a storm at sea. Jonah knew exactly why that storm had come. He said to his fellow passengers, “I know that on account of me this great storm has come upon you.” Make no mistake, God’s discipline affects us and those around us.
But not every “storm” is a storm of discipline. In Matthew 14 we are told that Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go across the lake, where they later encountered a severe storm. Unlike Jonah, these disciples were doing exactly what the Lord told them to do, and yet they still encountered a life-threatening storm.
Some storms are meant to discipline us and some are meant to deepen us. We’re wise not to prematurely judge the purpose of God’s storms.
