What do You do When God Doesn't Calm the Storm?

In May a severe storm (tornado) hit Joplin, Mo., destroying 100s of homes and disrupting 1000s of lives. When I hear about such tragedies, I know there were many Christians praying that God would calm the storm and protect them from danger. I thought of this again the other day when I saw a picture of a church on the Missouri River threatened by flood waters. I am sure they were praying God would divert the waters. But in both cases, God did not. Homes and churches were lost.  They were probably thinking of the times when Jesus calmed the storms. They probably wondered why God did not calm their storms.

When the apostle Paul was a prisoner being taken to Rome, he was in a ship that got caught in a terrible storm. In a desperate attempt to save themselves, the crew threw the cargo overboard as the wind and waves battered the ship. As they were about to give up hope, God gave Paul a vision that the ship would sink, but no one would be lost. Sure enough, the ship was destroyed, but all aboard were saved.

Paul obeyed God, yet God still allowed him to be shipwrecked. I’m sure Paul prayed for deliverance from this storm. He may have expected God to calm the winds. Instead, God promised to keep Paul safe though the storm; and Paul believed Him. Often, God allows storms to continue, but He stays beside us and promises we will not be lost. God help us to trust Him during the storms of life.