And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. — II Corinthians 12:9-10

I read years ago that there is a type of desert bush that has extremely tough seeds. In order for those seeds to germinate, they must be carried over rocks and hard surfaces by a storm so that the tough outer shell is nicked and damaged, allowing the life-giving water to penetrate the shell and thus cause the seed to germinate.

Sometimes we as Christians are a lot like those seeds. We need some storms to stimulate our spiritual growth. Although our loving Heavenly Father never allows His children to suffer needlessly, sometimes He does allow us to experience nicks and scratches so that the water of His Word may seep into our hearts and cause us to grow.

Whether it’s an unexpected hospital stay, stacks of unpaid bills, or some type of family disruption, the storms of life can have a positive and life-giving purpose. Such difficulties may hurt for a while, but if we will yield to the Lord we will discover that being roughed up can cause us to grow up. And while we may prefer to remain seeds, God wants us to become fruitful trees.

Paul and Silas were falsely charged in Philippi, beaten, cast into prison, and their feet placed in stocks (Acts 16:23-24). But instead of complaining, as most of us would do, “At midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them” (Acts 16:25). You can also be sure that the jailer heard Paul and Silas. Their false imprisonment gave an opportunity for the jailer to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior, along with others (Acts 16:29-34).

Dear friends, the Lord can take the trials and storms of this life and turn them into blessings if we don’t complain but just trust the Lord, knowing that He knows best. What an awesome God we serve!