One of my favorite verses is John 16:33. “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Life is so full of ups and downs. Today, I have been surprised and overwhelmed by brokenness, sin, sickness and storms. In the middle of my surprise it is comforting to remember that God is not surprised, scared or worried. Tonight, God gave me grace to turn to scripture and, I prayed through Psalm 42. Verses 7 & 8 stood out.

Deep calls to deep
    at the roar of your waterfalls;
all your breakers and your waves
    have gone over me.
By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,
    and at night his song is with me,
    a prayer to the God of my life.

In reading the entire Psalm, it is evident that the writer is overwhelmed by what life has thrown at him. He feels pummeled like rocks beneath a waterfall and he is drowning beneath unrelenting waves.

But for a brief moment, the writer is able to see above His circumstances, recognizing that the Creator and Commander of the waterfalls and waves is with him the entire time.

What you won’t find in a “hurricane preparedness” checklist is this: PREPARE YOUR HEART. As believers, we shouldn’t be surprised when faced with scary things. Jesus told us trials are coming. And He even tells us we can be of good cheer in the midst of the storm. (Ok, that’s hard!) James 4 says “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” Instead of dwelling on our anxieties, let’s fight to remember that God is forever ruling and reigning and good. Let’s focus on how Jesus has weathered our biggest storm, dying the death we deserved, so that we can draw near to our holy, perfect, powerful God. And let’s share the greatest hope ever with those who do not know Him.