“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.” 1 Peter 4:12–13
Since the first sin in the Garden, humanity has lived in a torn-up world. We long for peace, clarity, relief, and rescue, yet evil exists and pain is a part of life. Yet, God, in His mercy, allows us to have experiences that give pain meaning. As I’ve been praying through a deep valley with a dear friend, a young pastor who has been hospitalized with the sudden onset of acute leukemia, we see God working miracles that could have only happened in this storm.
There is a beautiful history in Scripture of God working miracles in the storm!
For example:
Joseph never would have risen to be used by God to save nations if he had not first been betrayed, sold, falsely accused, and imprisoned. The dreams God gave him were fulfilled—but it was no vacation! The pit, the prison, and the waiting were not interruptions to God’s plan; they were the instruments God used to prepare Joseph’s character and calling. What looked like great loss was actually positioning. And how could he have known that thousands of years later, millions would read his story and be inspired to follow Christ?
Israel would never have known God as Deliverer if they had not been trapped between Pharaoh’s army and the Red Sea. They cried out in fear. When escape seemed impossible, God revealed His power. The sea did not part in calm conditions. It opened in an immense crisis. What Israel learned about God in that storm could never have been learned in safety.
Job lost everything—status, children, wealth, and health but—gained something deeper—a clearer vision of God Himself. He said: “I had heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You.” (Job 42:5) This statement comes after God speaks to Job out of the whirlwind and before Job’s repentance and restoration. It marks a turning point where Job’s understanding of God moves from secondhand knowledge to a more deep and personal understanding. When God finally answered Job, He did not explain the reasons for Job’s suffering. Instead, He redirected Job’s focus away from himself and back to God’s greatness, sovereignty, and wisdom. God speaks from the whirlwind and asks Job a series of piercing questions:
Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Can you command the morning or control the sea?
Do you understand the depths of creation or govern the forces of nature?
Can you tame what I alone sustain? Job 38-41
Rather than minimizing Job’s pain, God expands Job’s vision.
God shows Job that the universe is governed by divine wisdom far beyond human comprehension. God reminds Job that He is actively ruling over creation—feeding animals, directing storms, sustaining life, and holding order where humans see chaos. The message is not, “Your suffering doesn’t matter,” but rather: “I am God, and you can trust Me—even when you don’t understand Me.”
Job is brought to humility, not humiliation. God restores perspective by revealing Himself. Job realizes that the deepest answer to suffering is not an explanation, but a Person. This encounter leads Job to repentance—not because there was some particular sin that caused his suffering, but rather for presuming that he could judge God’s purposes from a limited human viewpoint. Job 42:1–6 In the end, Job’s confidence is no longer rooted in understanding circumstances but in knowing who God is. God points Job back to Himself as Creator, Sustainer, and Sovereign—and that revelation is enough.
God does not always answer our “why,” but He always answers our “who.” When God becomes clearer, circumstances lose their power to define reality. That kind of knowing does not come from comfort. It comes from walking with God when all explanations are absent.
God didn’t give Job an explanation; He pointed Job back to Himself.
Above every instance of human suffering, the cross stands as the greatest reminder of finding purpose in suffering. Our redemption came through suffering. Resurrection glory came only after the most staggering storm imaginable.
Storms do more than shape us—they also position us. In suffering, God often opens doors to people and places we would never otherwise reach. Pain has a way of softening hearts. The hospital room, the courtroom, the waiting room, the valley of grief or uncertainty often brings us face-to-face with people who are searching for hope. In those moments, our trust in God becomes a testimony louder than words. When we endure hardship with faith, humility, and hope, God is glorified. Others see a strength that cannot be explained by circumstances. The storm becomes a platform—not for self-pity, but for God’s powerful presence to be displayed.
God does not waste suffering. He does not casually allow pain. But He often chooses to do His deepest work where our strength ends and our dependence begins. The storm strips away illusions of control and reveals the sufficiency of God. The place that feels like breaking may be the very place where God is building something eternal—in you and through you.
If you are in a storm today, it does not mean God has forgotten you.
It may mean He is doing a work that could not be done any other way—and placing you where your life can shine His glory in ways you never imagined. God promises:
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28
Prayer:
Lord, I don’t understand this storm, but I want to trust You in it. Do in me—and through me—what can only be done here. Use my life to point others to You, and let Your glory be seen in my life as I trust You. Do Your work through me. Manifest Your love and peace through me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
