Focus On Jesus During The Storms Of Life

Whenever I take time to stop and look at the path that has led me right to this very moment, I can’t help but be completely blown away. These past few years I have seen My Heavenly Father work out everything for the good of those who love Him. If you focus on Jesus during the storm, he will pull you through. In the darkest raging storms of life, God is faithful and ever present. Don’t you ever forget that.

My Raging Storm

I can recall endless nights after my husband was sent away to prison thinking about how I just wanted to die. How could I ever come back from the mess I made? There I was, knee deep in addiction. My husband was being sentenced to 5 at 85, and in an instance I became a single mother. Shortly after he was taken into custody to serve his term, I had to move myself and my daughter from where we were living. It wasn’t planned; it was a family decision to not let me go back. Because of this, we had to leave all of our belongings behind. Still, to this day I have not returned for my stuff.  Though I do believe I am strong enough now in the spirit, nevertheless, I do not want anything in my possession that may have demonic attachments. They are just materialistic things that will rot and fade away, my rewards are in heaven.

The home we lived in during our addiction became something like a demonic portal. Both myself and my husband experienced supernatural events in that home, all of which were demonic. We opened demonic doorways through our sin and addiction. I later found out the person who lived there prior to us was practicing the occult upstairs in our rooms. This person opened doorways not meant to be opened and unknowingly gave over legal rights. This combination of demonic activity created the ‘perfect spiritual storm’. A storm that would bleed out into the physical realm and destroy everything in its path, well everything except what God decides will remain. Myself, my husband and daughter are living proof of that.

I’ll never forget walking out that court-room without Him. My parents grabbing my arms to pull me towards the courtroom doors to keep me from breaking down. There I was in the back of my parents’ car with my head on the cold glass of the window thinking ‘I can’t do this”.

5 years seems like an impossible feat. I was tired of hearing everyone tell me to be strong because I wasn’t strong. I was a broken. I was tired of hearing everyone tell me about other people they knew who were in similar situations. I just wanted to scream. How could anyone understand what I was feeling?

Getting clean didn’t happen overnight. It actually got a lot worse before it got better. For the first time, I had to fend for myself because the person I had relied on was no longer there. I couldn’t process the prison sentence because my addiction took precedence over everything else. It isn’t possible to properly process anything when your mind is clouded and skewed. If I am being honest, I wasn’t ready to deal with anything at that moment, but I sensed the day when I would have to was quickly approaching. 

I could sit here all day and tell you all the reasons I became an addict, but I won’t. No matter what trauma I experienced in the past, addiction should never be the answer. Looking back, the spiritual warfare for my soul was intense. Satan wanted to take me, my husband and daughter out in one foul swoop. It came pretty close, but as the Bible says in John 10:28-30 NIV,

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.

Luckily, my story didn’t end the way Satan hoped it would. My LIFE is a testimony, let it glorify God and lead others to Christ. Whether you’re a recovered addict, currently fighting addiction, or dealing with your own storm. You need to know there is HOPE.  But you have to focus on Jesus. Open up the Bible, go to The New Testament and learn who God really is and what He stands for. Only by seeking Him yourself will He be permitted to work out His will in your situation.

No matter what I’ve done in the past, no matter the awful things I said and did somehow, someway God thought I was worth saving. Not only did He save me, but He saved my husband as well. It was as if Christ was standing out in the middle of the ocean in a raging storm, calling me to go to Him in faith. I knew I couldn’t go forward into those deep waters myself. It would require unwavering faith to willingly walk into the waters of the stormy sea.

All I know is that I kept my eyes on Jesus the entire time. If I didn’t stay in the word and in prayer daily, the waves of the storm would overtake me. Even though it was 5 years ago, it still remains the time God required a faith like no other. I felt much like Peter in Matthew 14:26-33 NIV,

Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.  Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

If you’re currently going through what feels like the biggest storm of your life. Remember Christ is standing in the midst of all the chaos asking you to keep your eyes on Him. Don’t attempt to weather the storm yourself, behold your Savior.