The winds were fierce for a while here at my Kentucky home this morning. I love rainstorms—hearing the great sounds of thunder and watching the lightning streak across the sky. The smell of rain is one of my favorites. My husband and I sit out on the front porch like two children, watching with glee as if we had never seen rain before.

But the fierce winds are another story. This Oklahoma gal  (I once lived in “tornado alley”) has witnessed the devastating destruction of tornadic winds. They can pop up so quickly and take unexpected turns. John 3:8 says, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going.” Kinda like life. We can think we know what direction we’re going and which way our loved ones are going, but the winds can kick up so unexpectedly and change course so quickly that it knocks us off our feet.

If a tree is blown over and it falls on my roof, I have insurance. But what about the winds of life? There is something far better than insurance—assurance that God is there to either calm the storm: “He got up, rebuked the wind and said . . . quiet! Be still! Then the wind died down and it was completely calm” (Mark 4:39), or He will walk with us through the storm: Isaiah 43:2 states, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.”

We believers are not promised a life without storms. They will come in one form or another. But rest assured, we’re not alone. We need not fear or be alarmed. When the howling, blowing winds come across your path, stand strong and don’t fear—for He is near.

When this recent life storm hit me, I began to sink, just like Peter on the water when he took his eyes off Jesus and became afraid of the wind. I became afraid of my storm. My focus was solely on the billowing clouds and angry waves. I began to sink—as well as two other people in my family. But when the three of us placed our focus back on our Savior, we were able to stand and fight. God’s presence and His Word healed us. My favorite verse during this time was Isaiah 41:10: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” I clung to that hand! What assurance He gives us to get through the storms of life.

If a tree topples and lands on my house, I’ll call the insurance man. But for anything else, I will call on the One who gives me complete assurance. And with Him, there are no premiums to pay! —submitted by Kris Bridgman, US