Devotional 1 for the Storms of Life

Jeremiah 29:11 - “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” 
In the storms of life I think this is one of the hardest promises to hold on to. 
Health crisis. A broken marriage. An empty bank account. Bills that are more than the paycheck. Death of a child, a parent. Death of a spouse. 
A hundred other storms of life - and this promise remains true and real. 
It is in the storms of life that we hold to this one promise if to no other ... and we cry out - “God, I am holding to Your promise, but You need to hold on to me!” 
When the storms batter us, our ships (lives) become torn and ragged, all we can do is cry out to God - “You are God over the storms, and I am Yours!” 
Nothing changes Who God is.
The same God Who took Noah and his family thru the days on the ark, that’s the same God Who loves us now.
The same God Who delivered the children of Israel from Egypt, that’s the same God Who walks with us thru our trials and troubles today.
The same God Who closed the mouths of the lions in the den for Daniel, that’s the same God Who watches over us in the storms of our lives.
No matter where we are, or what we are going thru, God is the same as He has always been.
Oh I know how it can feel like He isn’t even real, much less that He cares.
But He is both - He is real, and He cares. 
That’s where FAITH comes in.
If we could see Him, feel Him, hear His voice ... it wouldn’t take FAITH, now would it? 
We as humans are so quick to jump on a plane, and just lean back all relaxed. But we don’t see the pilot. We don’t hear him talking to us all along that journey. We don’t know if he is sick or hurting. Can he really fly this thing? We just breathe and we just be the passenger. 
We don’t understand the way a cell phone works, do we? How we can pick up  the phone, dial a number, and in seconds - we are connected to someone miles away. Perhaps to someone even in a different state, country, time zone. No delay whatsoever. But how does that happen? We don’t question it, we just accept by faith that it will happen, that our call will be connected. 
And the examples continue - you are thinking of some even now. 
But when it comes to holding on to God’s promises or believing He is holding on to us ... we doubt, we question, we want to SEE, to HEAR, to FEEL. 
You know what? 
That’s ok. 
God knows we are that way. 
He is our Creator. 
That’s why He has Hands of Mercy, Arms of Love, and that Sweet Amazing Grace. 
Take a deep breath.
Now let it out.
Just Breathe.
Be still. Be quiet.
Let Your hurting heart cry out to God. 
And receive Him holding You a while. 
Remember the story of the 3 boys in the fiery furnace? 
God didn’t remove them from the fire ... but He was seen walking there with them 
- “He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.””  Daniel 3:25
God, may not remove us from the storms, but you can be sure the Master of the storms is right there with you. 
You are LOVED. 
Jeremiah 29:11 - “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” 
*Know: 
- to understand as fact 
- to apprehend clearly and with certainty
- to have fixed it in the mind and memory
- possessing inside information
- to be sure of something
*Plans:
- a method of doing, proceeding
- a design of arrangement
- a definite purpose
- to plant
- to fix in place
*Declares:
- to state clearly
- to proclaim
- to state emphatically
- to manifest
- to make known in the face of actual or potential contradiction
*Prosper:
- to make successful
- to thrive
- to flourish
- to bloom
- to multiply
- to rise
*Hope:
- the knowledge that things will turn out for the best
- to look forward with desire and confidence
- to believe and trust
- to desire with possibility of fulfillment
*Future:
- will exist
- about to be
- going to be
God, sometimes we don’t know what to pray
Sometimes all we can do is cry 
Gather us in Your arms
Hold us while we do
And help us just breathe
In Jesus’ Name I ask
Thank You for knowing us, for loving us
I want to love you back
Teach me 

**Also found on my blog spot @ https://stormsoflifedevotional.blogspot.com/