As a California native, I love the sun. When we get that first smattering of extended rain, the sense of impending cold and darkness can start impacting me. I don’t know about you, but cloudy and cold days can be depressing for me. I do okay with rain until it becomes relentless. By relentless, I mean more than three days without a break or some sunshine.
We can also experience spiritual coldness, cloudiness, and times when our hope and joy wanes. What feels like never-ending challenges or disappointments can start to wear on our optimism. Several things can help bolster us against the storms.
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Don’t isolate yourself.
If you are an introvert like me, your first tendency when facing repeated disappointments or obstacles is to retreat. Don’t. Reach out to trusted friends and confide in them what you are feeling. Ask them to pray for you. Listen and offer to pray with them as well.
Seek God’s presence.
Pray and ask God for His comfort and peace. Seek His presence and listen to His voice. Tune into Him. Seek to minimize distractions. Pray about trusting God to use these times to grow you and make you a more effective and empathetic Christ-follower.
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Examine yourself. Refocus on what’s important.
Are you drifting in your Christ walk? Have you let other things and circumstances distract you from Jesus and what you are here for? Think about heaven and eternity. Get back on the path headed to the place where your true citizenship is. God did not promise us an easy, breezy journey. Quite the opposite. He promised that we would face many trials and temptations.
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Get in the Bible. Let it cover you like an umbrella.
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Job 23:10, "But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold."
Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those called according to His purpose.”
Isaiah 43:2, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”
Psalm 107:28, “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress.”
Matthew 7:24-25, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, yet it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock.”
John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Psalm 34:17-18, “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
James 1:2-3, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.”
Hebrews 6:19, “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”
Psalm 23:4, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
1 Peter 5:7, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
Romans 8:38-39, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Be open to having a new perspective.
God may be using difficult times to test, purify, or prepare you for something he has planned. He may hope to make you an example of weathering trials for others to follow (like Job). We know from experience that storms come, and they also go. This season of storms will pass. God is faithful and sovereign. He is working. Hold on. Watch expectantly to see what He is doing.
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