Praise Him in the storm?

Have you ever been through a tough time and wondered where God is?

I think it happens to all of us where we go through times in life that it seems nothing can go your way. One thing after another happens as if there is someone out there controlling the universe in such a way as to cause every single event to work against us.  At those moments is when we are to cry out to God and ask Him for comfort and to make our situation right.

That's what we're told, anyway.

Now you would say, "Wait!  Aren't we supposed to call out to God in time of need?"  Absolutely!  You know the Bible says that God's strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).  That leads us to believe that at our weakest moments God is always there and we should look to Him when our weakest moments come.

But what about the other times?  What about the times that are seemingly wonderful?  What about the times we feel like we are walking on the clouds?  I would submit to you that the most important time to seek God and His presence and peace is during the times that things are going well.  When all in the world is right and you are smiling and singing a happy tune, do you seek Him like He is the most important thing in your life?

To expand on the analogy of walking on the clouds in the good times, surely if we are walking on the clouds we are bound to fall off at some point, right? My belief is that if we will seek Him during the good times, His presence will be so much more evident in the tough times. What's more, if we seek Him during the times when life is easy, we will learn how to see Him and recognize Him in every situation. That practice in the good times will prepare us to see Him when circumstances seem so overwhelming.

Fix your eyes on Him now, even when it may feel like you don't need Him to survive. Then, when circumstances make it abundantly clear that He truly is your only hope, you will feel His calming presence as if He is with you always.