An unexpected diagnosis. A financial struggle. A relationship’s end. All of us have storms in our lives. As Christians, we can trust God to see us through! What can we learn from Bible stories and Bible verses about storms of life?
What does the Bible say about storms in our lives?
As Christians, we can be surprised when something goes wrong in our lives, what some people might call “storms” in their otherwise serene lives. We may have expected for all of our problems to go away once we prayed to receive Jesus into our hearts.
We might be hurt that God would allow a storm in our lives, expecting that He would protect us from every trial or inconvenience. Sometimes we can doubt God, wondering why if He exists, that He would allow such a thing to happen to us or to someone we care about.
We also might feel like God doesn’t care about us, to allow these storms of life. The promises of God do not include a trouble-free life! God’s promises include many other things, and He is faithful to His promises. But the absence of hard times is not one of His promises.
The Word of God shows us through its stories and tells us in verses that we can expect storms in our lives, but that God is with us and His purposes for our lives will ultimately be accomplished.
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Job and the storms in his life
Job is one example of someone who endured storms in his life, both figurative and physical storms! Satan told God that Job only loved and served God because God blessed Job.
God allowed the storms in Job’s life to show Job, his community, and the generations to come that would read of Job, that the absence of blessings and the presence of life’s troubles does not mean that God does not love you.
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): Old Testament adds, “Job learned through the theophany [in Job 38:1 – 42:6] that God had not abandoned him. And it gradually dawned on Job that without knowing why he was suffering he could face it, so long as he was assured that God was his friend.”
We can learn from Job and his sufferings. So often we want to understand why something is happening. It can be comforting to know, but the truth is that it isn’t necessary. We can trust God to work out the “why”, as well as all the other questions we might have about these storms of life.
Jonah and his storms (and stormy attitude)
Jonah also had a literal storm in his life that put him in the belly of a large fish. But his stormy attitude also added to the storms he was experiencing. Jonah was a prophet who didn’t want to even talk to the people of Nineveh who God told him to deliver a message to. He stormed off onto a ship and went in the other direction.
On the boat, he figured out the literal storm was a judgment of God and told the crew to throw him overboard. A big fish swallowed him and later, threw him up on dry land. God gave him a second chance to reach the people of Nineveh. He delivered God’s message, and they repented.
He then stormed off in anger that God didn’t deliver a huge judgment on Nineveh anyway. The book of Jonah ends without us knowing if Jonah and his stormy attitude were ever resolved.
Some of the storms in Jonah’s life were because of his actions. Maybe he wouldn’t have struggled so much if God had told him why. God didn’t do that, and Jonah was supposed to trust Him.
Instead, Jonah struggled all over the place, including in the belly of a large fish. Just as God gave Nineveh a second chance, God kept giving Jonah second chances to do what He called him to do and have the attitude He wanted him to have.
Would Jonah have had so much trouble if he had abandoned his own agenda and attitude, and obeyed God when told to go to Nineveh? We are left to wonder, but my opinion is, probably not.
Jonah 2:5-6 ESV
“The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head at the roots of the mountains. I went down to the land whose bars closed upon me forever; yet you brought up my life from the pit, O Lord my God.”
Jonah, even with his bad attitude and his self-caused storms, acknowledged that God is the one who saves us from storms. The hard thing we must do is look at ourselves and see what characteristics of Jonah we have in our lives.
Jonah may have gone on to serve God with a whole new attitude after that, but all we know about him is in the book of Jonah. Serve God without the stormy attitude, and trust Him by obeying Him.
Bible Verses about Storms of Life
Knowing that we will have storms in our lives, what should we do? These Bible verses about storms of life will help us see how God wants us to proceed through those storms.
Job 13:15 KJV
“Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.”
While the King James Version can be harder to understand, it is a powerful picture of how Job feels. Job’s outlook in the midst of the storm is to still trust God, even though he feels like he is dying.
Psalm 107:25, 29
“For he commands, and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up its waves… He makes the storm a calm, so that its waves are still.”
God is in control of the storms in our lives. We know that He can calm a literal storm; He can also calm any storms in our lives. Like Job came to learn, may we trust Him even when He does not calm our storms.
Sometimes instead of removing the storm, God is our refuge, as we see in the next couple of Bible verses about storms of life.
Psalm 46:1
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
This verse is included in these best Bible verses about storms of life to show us where to take refuge. In literal storms, we seek shelter to be protected from the elements, and plan out where to go and maybe even what to do.
We can prepare ourselves for a great storm of life by making Him our refuge and strength daily, seeking God’s protection and God’s peace.
Psalm 91:1
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”
Here is another one of the Bible verses about storms of life that reminds us of the refuge that we can find in our Lord God. We can trust Him to see us through the storm. This verse beautifully paints that we are safe just by being in the shadow of our God.
John 16:33
“I have told you these things, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble; but cheer up! I have overcome the world.”
Another one of the Bible verses about storms of life that is apt, because it reminds us that we will experience storms in life. Yet most importantly, Jesus also offers us peace through His salvation. His salvation for us is more important than the life’s storms and trials we face.
Psalm 31:7 ESV
I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul.
The psalmist here is in the midst of the storms of life, yet he will rejoice and be glad in God’s steadfast love, because God has seen him during his difficult times.
What a lesson we can learn from David, this psalm’s author! At this point, David was being pursued and he had not been delivered into the hands of his enemies, and yet he still chose to praise God.
God’s purpose for David was going to play out eventually – David would be king, and achieve great things! But it did not mean that David was exempt from difficult times. Yet David still brought a sacrifice of praise to the Lord even through the uncertain times.
1 Peter 4:12-13
“Beloved, don’t be astonished at the fiery trial which has come upon you to test you, as though a strange thing happened to you. But because you are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, rejoice, that at the revelation of his glory you also may rejoice with exceeding joy.”
This is another reminder that storms and trials serve a purpose in our lives. Here, it tells us that storms serve to test our faith. We follow Christ’s example when we endure and persevere for God’s purposes.
Mark 4:39
“He awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”
Christ Jesus was sleeping in a boat during a raging storm around Him. Tossed around by the waves of the sea, the disciples woke Him up and asked if He cared they were dying! He gave the response recorded in Mark 4:39.
Even with Jesus Christ right there with them, the disciples panicked. Don’t we do the same today? We have Jesus with us, but act like we have little faith in Him, and stress over each problem, and don’t operate under Christ’s power.
May He say, “Peace! Be still!” to our hearts and our trying times today.
Free “Peace, Be Still” Mark 4:39 Coloring Page
If you find coloring a restful activity, you may like this Mark 4:39 “Peace, Be Still” Coloring Page. Visit the Free Coloring Page Printables page to download it. You may also enjoy other free downloadable printables from Hope Filled Faith; visit the hub for free downloads for this site here.
You can watch my YouTube video featuring Bible verses about Storms of Life here:
The good news is that you can trust the Lord through the various storms of life! Pray that you will see how He is there for you and how He provides what you need. Review these Bible verses about storms of life whenever you feel challenged by the day’s trials.
O God, Thank You that we are not alone during the storms of life. Thank You for the power of the Holy Spirit within us to get through tough times.
May the peace of God guide my thoughts and actions, even in times of trouble. Thank You, Heavenly Father, for being a place of refuge in all kinds of storms. In the name of Christ Jesus, Amen.
If you found Bible Verses about Storms of Life helpful, you may also want to read Short Bible Verses for Healing and Strength and 100 Things to Pray For.
