Ron Hutchcraft Ministries - The Surprise in the Storm - #8087

Friday, August 29, 2008

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I don’t expect to be inspired when I’m in the dentist chair, okay, but last week I was. I saw the dentist last in the winter time and there’d just been a horrible ice storm and it had split and destroyed trees all over our area. And he told me that he’d probably lost all his fruit trees. Well before he started messing with my mouth this time I asked, “How are your fruit trees doing?” He said, “Oh, they’re doing great. I think the storm actually made them stronger. It strengthened their roots.”

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I said, “Hey, Doc, that’s so cool. The storm that looked like it was going to destroy them actually made them stronger.” Oh wait. That’s not just trees—that’s us. The Bible says, “We rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us” (Romans 5:3-5 ).

The storm can destroy you or make you stronger than you’ve ever been; the endurance it takes to live a life that matters. It depends on how you respond. When it’s more then you can handle, when you’re hard hit, it’s time to assume the most powerful position in the world—powerlessness. You cry out to God. You surrender everything, including all the control in that situation and God will come flooding in. He always does. His power will take you over like a hand filling a glove, and when that grace flood comes in, God builds in you a greater patience and faith and compassion and priorities. Storms turn wimps into warriors because they drive your roots deep into the living God.

Hey, there’s more spiritual encouragement for your storms at our website. It’s ALifeThatMatters.org because God put you here to live a life that matters.

This radio program references: Romans 5:3-5