The Voice in the Midst of the Storm
Listening for God in the Midst of Life’s Storms
I know I’m not the only one who’s ever felt overwhelmed, as though life’s chaos drowns out God's voice. For me, it happened just this past Sunday evening. The weight of everything hit me all at once, and I felt as though I had reached the end of my rope. The noise in my mind was so loud that I couldn’t hear God anymore.
Sunday, it was storming heavily outside—thunder cracked through the sky, and lightning lit up the horizon—but in that moment, I barely noticed. I sat still for nearly 30 minutes, amidst the storm, allowing myself to feel the weight of the chaos and uncertainty. I cried, I prayed, and I listened. And in that stillness, through the pouring rain, I heard His voice. Even amidst the thunder, I could hear Him speaking, and in the flashes of lightning, I felt His presence. Even though the cold rain soaked my skin, His peace enveloped me.
The Danger of Losing Focus
So often, we get swept up in the busyness of life—work, school, family, obligations—and before we know it, God gets pushed aside. We tell ourselves we’ll pray later, that we’ll spend time with Him when things settle down. But later comes, and we’re too tired, too distracted. We promise to seek Him tomorrow—but the truth is, we’re not guaranteed tomorrow.
God doesn’t want to be our last thought of the day. He wants to be our first thought in the morning, our last thought at night, and every thought in between. When Jesus gave His life on the cross, He didn’t suffer and die so we could “fit Him in” when it's convenient. He gave His life so that He could be everything—our first love, our constant companion, the source of peace and joy in our lives.
It’s Not About Rules—It’s About Relationship
The problem comes when we approach God as though He’s a checklist item. We create rules for how we think we should approach Him—when to pray, how long to pray, when to read the Bible—but that’s not what He wants from us. God isn’t looking for our rituals; He’s looking for our hearts. He wants a relationship, not a routine.
Think about any meaningful relationship in your life—a parent, child, friend, or spouse. You invest time and effort to nurture it, to stay close and connected. The same is true with God. He’s not asking for us to follow rules or make grand promises. He’s asking for us to show up. To seek Him. To talk to Him the way we would our closest friend.
Seeking Him in the Storm
I’m not here to tell you exactly how to build your relationship with God—how that looks will be different for each of us. But what I can tell you is this: If you truly seek Him, He will reveal Himself to you in your own way.
For me, it meant sitting in the middle of a storm—both literally and figuratively. It meant pouring out my heart, staying in the storm until I could hear His still, calming voice. It meant talking to Him as if He were my best friend—because, truly, He is. And here’s the thing: He is always there, even when it doesn’t feel like it. But until you stop, listen, and make space to hear His voice, you won’t feel His presence the way you long to.
He is Waiting for You
Revelation 3:20 tells us, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” He’s waiting for you, ready and eager for you to call on Him. We aren’t promised another day. Seek Him now, while you can.
He’s standing with arms wide open—ready to love you, to heal your brokenness, and to hold you in His peace. There is nothing more secure than His embrace. When you seek Him, you’ll find that His presence surrounds you in ways you never imagined.