Scripture Focus:James 1:2–3 “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”
We love the idea of “dancing in the rain,” but real storms are rarely that graceful. They soak your socks, rearrange your plans, unsettle your sleep, and sometimes leave you staring at the ceiling wondering how everything changed so quickly. And yet, right into the middle of all that, God speaks through His Word and says, “Count it all joy.” Not because the storm feels good, but because He is doing something in it that clear skies could never do. James doesn’t say if you happen to run into trouble, but when you fall into various trials. Storms are not a glitch in the Christian life; they are part of the path. Whether you’re single, dating, married, widowed, parenting, caring for aging parents, walking through health issues, or feeling the ache of loneliness, trials come. But for those who belong to Jesus, they never come alone. The same Lord who allows your faith to be tested walks with you through the wind and waves.
Think of the disciples on the sea when “the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full” (Mark 4:37). From where they sat, it looked like the end. From where Jesus stood, it was a lesson. When He rose and said, “Peace, be still” (verse 39), the storm didn’t only calm around them; something quieted inside them. They came out of that night knowing Him differently. Smooth water would never have given them that kind of faith. That’s one of the hidden mercies of our storms: they move God from a page to the center of our real life.
Storms also reveal things we can’t see when everything is sunny. A sudden downpour shows you where the roof leaks. In the same way, pressure uncovers the places where we’ve leaned more on our plans, our timing, our strength, or even another person, than on God Himself. Fears we thought we’d outgrown rise to the surface. Old habits or attitudes we assumed were gone suddenly bump into people we care about. That isn’t God shaming us; it’s God loving us enough to show us what He wants to heal. “The trying of your faith worketh patience” is not about gritting your teeth, but about God building a steady, durable trust that can stand when feelings and circumstances don’t cooperate.
Storms aren’t just about “me,” either; they’re often about “we.” God did not design us to walk through the rain alone. He places us in families, friendships, and church communities and calls us to “bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). That might mean praying with a friend instead of just offering advice. It might mean listening without immediately trying to fix, or sending a verse when you know someone is barely holding on. For couples, it can mean learning to stand on the same side of the problem instead of turning on each other. For those who live alone, it can mean letting someone else in enough to share the load instead of wearing the mask of “I’m fine” until your heart is exhausted. One of the quiet gifts of a storm is that it can move relationships from surface-level conversation to real, spiritual companionship.
Of course, “counting it all joy” does not mean pretending hurt doesn’t hurt. Scripture never tells us to deny tears, only not to drown in them. Joy in Christ can weep. It can sit in a hospital room, or an empty house, or a car in the driveway after hard news, and still whisper, “Lord, I trust that You are here, and You are working.” It might look like choosing gratitude for small things when big things are unresolved—a text at the right moment, a verse that fits the hour, the strength to get out of bed and try again. It might look like turning worry into prayer appointments throughout the day: every time the fear rises, you hand that same concern back into His hands instead of hugging it tighter to your chest. Sometimes it looks like serving someone else right from the middle of your own storm—holding an umbrella for another heart while the rain still falls on you. Very often, the comfort God pours into you in this season becomes the comfort you will one day pour into someone who is just starting the journey you are now walking.
No matter what your relationship status or life stage is, the safest way through any storm is not to fix your eyes on yourself or on another human being, but on the same Shepherd. Real unity—whether in a marriage, a friendship, a family, or a church—doesn’t come from staring at each other, but from looking in the same direction. He is the One who says, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). He is the One who promises, “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee” (Isaiah 43:2). He is the One who assures us that “all things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28). Storms may change how you see yourself and others, but the greatest change is how you see Him. You move from simply knowing that God is faithful to recognizing His fingerprints in the details of your own story.
So if you find yourself in the rain right now—confused, tired, maybe even a little afraid—take heart. The fact that you feel the wind does not mean God has stepped away. You are not forgotten, not overlooked, not left to fend for yourself. Your storm has a Teacher in it. Keep your Bible open. Keep your heart honest. Reach out to someone who will pray with you. Ask God what He is growing in you through this season that sunshine alone could never produce. And one day, you may look back on this very chapter and say, “That was where I learned that Jesus really does hold the boat.”
Reflection Questions
- What “storms” (big or small) are you facing right now—personally, in your family, friendships, or relationships? Where do you most feel the “wind and waves”?
- When difficulty comes, what is your usual first response—panic, problem-solving, withdrawing, praying, or something else? How might the Lord be inviting you to respond differently?
- Is there someone God has placed in your life whom you could gently support through their storm—not by fixing them, but by listening, praying, and sharing Scripture?
- If you are in a relationship, how might you seek God together in this season—through prayer, Bible study, worship, or serving others—while still honoring each other’s personal walk with Him?
- What would it look like, in a very practical way this week, to “count it all joy”—not by denying the storm, but by trusting that God is using it to grow patience, faith, and Christlike character in you?
Prayer Prompt:
Heavenly Father, thank You that You are near in clear skies and in storms. You see every wave that crashes against my heart. When I am overwhelmed, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I (Psalm 61:2). When I pass through the waters, be with me, and let them not overflow me (Isaiah 43:2). Teach me to trust You in what I do not understand, to find my joy in Your presence, and to grow in patience and love through every trial. Let my story—especially the stormy parts—point others to Jesus and His grace. In His name I pray, amen.
If this devotional stirred your heart to follow Christ more closely and to walk with purpose, take the next step in His Word—“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalms 119:11). Keep your eyes on Jesus and let Scripture dwell richly in you day by day.
👉 Sign up for the free FAST Crash Course in Bible Memorization: http://fast.st/cc/21419
Star for the Journey 
Leave a comment