Our Refuge in the Storm

By Sylvia Chesser, Celebration Place Director of Celebrate Recovery

“For You have been a defense for the helpless,

A defense for the needy in his distress,

A refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat;

For the breath of the ruthless

Is like a rain storm against a wall.” Isaiah 25:4 (NASB1995)

I love thunderstorms… watching the clouds turn dark and start to churn with lightning playing in the shadows is fascinating and exciting to me, and I love the grumbling sounds of the thunder’s chorus.

What I love most is how a storm can change the climate in multiple ways. In some cases, a storm will dramatically lower the current temperature, bringing a cool change to a hot day. Other times, when the storm has run its course, the dampness in the atmosphere causes the heat to feel even more oppressive and sticky. Rain can clean things and make them look shiny and new or cause huge messes if it’s heavy enough. Large storms have been known to knock out power for days and put trees through the roof until people work hard to clean up and set things right.

Rough situations that happen to us or through us can feel like storms that greatly impact our lives. How we react to those events can determine whether the “storm” destroys us or motivates us toward positive change. If we say “poor me” and blame others, nothing changes, and we might live in a rut of negativity. If we decide to approach the situation with a positive attitude and look for the lesson God is providing in it, we can not only help ourselves feel better but can show others God’s goodness in all situations. If we have had some part in the cause of the problem, we can own our choices, make amends and be a force in changing the storm’s outcome.

In Celebrate Recovery, we learn to continually take personal inventories and admit when we have done wrong. As we move forward in hard situations, standing firmly with Jesus as our foundation will help us make positive choices and demonstrate to others that we can’t do it alone.

1 Corinthians 10:12 says, “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (NIV). Placing our trust in Jesus and asking Him for help during our storms is the best way to overcome the tough stuff of this world.

God is always with us as our refuge in the storms of life. We need to step up to ask for His help and do the work to set things right.

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If you would like to learn how to start your own Celebrate Recovery ministry, to contact your Celebrate Recovery Rep, please visit: https://crgroups.info/. To get involved in an already existing Celebrate Recovery ministry near you, please visit: https://locator.crgroups.info/.