Romans 8:28

28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

GOD causes all things to work together for good. Must respond in proper fashion. If I feel His heart, GOD will cause something very good out of this in your life. Storms build character Christ likeness, process of equipping us, preparing us for the service. Look to Him and ask GOD what are you doing in my life?

What GOD has in mind by sending / allowing these storms in our life?

< Cleansing – The truth is GOD often sends storm in our lives to get our attention. If you stepped out of His will, not willing the way you ought to live, the way Bible teaches us to live. Because you have trusted LORD Jesus as your Saviour and made a commitment to Him, you have chosen to walk on His way. If you are disobedient and decide to walk on your way, doing our own thing, thinking that we are doing the right thing and all of a sudden storm comes. Because you took your eyes off the LORD, you began to drift, it is painful but absolute expression of GOD’s love.

< For companionship – GOD desires we walk in intimate relationship, He blesses us. We don’t want these blessings come into our way and misuse the blessings. He blesses us because He wants a relationship that is intimate, that’s personal. We must be reading His word, listen to Him, talk to Him, seek His mind and heart about His will in our lives, build an intimate relationship with Him is the most important thing in our lives. He allows storms in our lives to get our attention and help us to understand and make us to realise we need Him, we need fellowship with Him.

If you get out of GOD’s will you create your own storms? Sometimes GOD sends them to keep us clean. GOD knows how to put divine loneliness in you, sent by Him to you because you are heading for destruction.

< Confirmative – in order to conform us to the image of LORD Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:29

29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestine to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Begin to read the gospels, what did LORD Jesus said, how he responded, what did He do. When you began to gaze LORD Jesus Christ and you began to talk to Him and listen to Him, His words in the gospel penetrates your heart, we began to absorb into your thinking, we began to act like what we focus on the most.

We are being shaped into image of Son of GOD, because we are thinking the way He thinks therefore we will walk the way He walks, we will talk the way He talks, we will act the way He acts. I want to be, as much as I could, be like LORD Jesus in my conduct, in my conversation, in my character.

When you began the way He thinks, read His words, absorb it in your heart, you break out the world away from you. GOD sends the storms into our lives, for us to recognise we are like the world system than we realise, the world system influences you. The stronger the storm, the deeper the valley, the more painful is depends how long I have been going in the wrong direction.

He wants to conform us to His image because He loves us to be representative of His Son, act like Him, talk like Him.

< Comfort – He allows us to go through brokenness, heartache, pain, suffering, loss because of what He wants to do through us. If you want to be blessing to other people you have to be broken, storms of our lives breaks us. You want to be available vessel to GOD so He can use you in other people’s lives, if so you want to be available to be broken. Because we came to this world with resistant, rebellious, sinful nature. GOD has to break that He has to get us to a place in our lives like He did with Apostle Paul where we will say what you want GOD. His disciples had to be broken. Until we are broken, experience heartache and pain and suffering, we cannot be blessing to others and say I do know how you feel, I walked that path.

He will make you useful and once He breaks you, gets your core being, you will become very sensitive to people around you hurting. You are a walking valuable vessel and toll in the hands of GOD. What can I do? How can I help? Once GOD breaks you, rest of your life you will sense their hurts and needs and suffering. GOD will use you to maximum of your potential. The deeper the valley, darker the storm is greater and intense the pain and greater preparation for your heart will be, for you to be a blessing to other people and greater purpose GOD has in mind for you. Now He has a spirit of humility, love, tenderness, kindness in you.

< Convictions – we discover what we believe about GOD, the storms reveals our doubts. What teaches us is not to doubt Him, He is walking through the difficulties with us. He proves Himself to us, because you have suffered enough, you have been helpless enough and you have been there time after time. GOD brings us to a place where we cannot do anything ourselves.

Sometime we read in the word of GOD and say LORD that’s exactly what I want to do then storm comes then we ask GOD where you are? GOD lives inside of us, He is with us every moment of the day through the difficulties, the hardship and trials. 2 Corinthians 11 Apostle Paul gone through test and trials.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

9And he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest on me. 10Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

GOD causes for all things together for those who love Him, My GOD will take care of me.

You cannot stand and tell other people with conviction if you are not absolutely willing to lay down your life for your conviction of the truth of what you say. It’s one thing to say it and one thing to live by and die by it.

Apostle Paul was teaching us the things he learned. I am fully persuaded “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” When we respond right we smile because GOD does exactly what He promised to do. You say thank you thank you. We are fully persuaded, happy, excited in our minds, in our hearts, in our total being, totally convinced that He is who says He is.

< Change – Acts 9 storm hit Apostle Paul for 3 days he couldn’t see anything. LORD voice melted him in 3 days. It took blindness, total helplessness to get his attention. The length and depth of the valley, the darkness of the storm is determined by GOD based on your rebellion and indifference to Almighty GOD. GOD will send storm in your life to change your life.

Paul became preacher of the gospel, He is still speaking today but it took blindness to change the direction in His life. What will it take to change your direction from your way to GOD’s way? Foolish people ignore the storms, they keep on having their on way and they get caught.

Ask the question what are You clearing in my life my LORD? If you discern GOD’s purpose in your life, GOD will build Christ likeness in you and you will be blessing to somebody else.