After the Storm the Sun Will Shine Again

After years of living through a historic drought, the rains came and didn’t stop. More than 20 inches of rain in just a few months. The once-dry lakes suddenly overflowing. Weeks and weeks without sunshine. 

What started as a blessing, became a burden. Initially, the rain was an annoyance as weekend after weekend saw canceled plans, rained out sports events, waterlogged playgrounds, and mosquitos visibly thick in the air. Then the storms turned deadly and destructive, with tornados and devastating flooding, property ruined and lives lost. 

Are storms raging in your life today?

Does it feel like the sun will never shine again?

Do you wonder when the rain will let up?

Have hope! After the storm, the sun WILL shine again!

Let God be your umbrella, your shelter from the storm.

As we moved from extreme drought to historic flooding, I’m reminded we will face many trials in this life. Each season brings its own challenges.

What defines us is how we face each challenge. 

When storm clouds gather on the horizon, you grab your umbrella and tune into the weather report. You heed warnings and trust the forecasters to keep you safe.

These are all good steps to take when the rain begins to fall, but don’t forget the best shelter of all – God. Umbrellas will fail and forecasts are flawed, but God will never leave your side. He is your refuge and shelter from any storm in your life. 

So, no matter the storm you’re facing – from the sky or from life – place your trust in God and find safe harbor in his arms. 

After the storm the sun will shine again.

In a brief respite from the rain, I noticed blue skies and a shining sun. I was reminded that behind every storm is at least a little sunshine. The rains will clear, the sun will shine again, and God’s promises are always true.

After the great flood, God gave Noah the sign of a rainbow as his promise to never again flood the earth. A rainbow does give us that first glimmer of hope, a sign that there is indeed sunshine beyond the clouds, but it’s the sun and blue skies that reaffirm that promise for me – even if they only make a fleeting appearance.

And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.” – Genesis 9:12-15 (NIV)

Look for the blessings in the storm.

Rain is nourishing. Water is cleansing.

Yet, too much rain causes flooding. Big storms cause destruction.

Where is your focus in the storm?

Choose to look for the blessings in your storms. How is the storm cleansing and refining you? Where do you see God more clearly in these trials? How is this bringing out the best in you and in those around you?

God doesn’t punish us with the storms of life, but he does ride them out with us. He can use them to make us new – to refine and remodel us through the process. 

Take hope! After the storm comes the calm.

Maybe you’re living through a storm. Maybe the rains haven’t let up in your life for longer than you care to remember. Maybe what began as an annoyance or small problem has turned into much more. Maybe you’ve been caught by a sudden, raging storm that’s showing no signs of letting up.

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” – Hebrews 10:23 (NIV)

Look around you for the rainbow and hold onto the glimmer of hope that rainbows mean the sun is somewhere behind those clouds.

Watch for the sun to shine again, even if only for a fleeting moment.

Pause and bask in its warmth. Enjoy the brightness of its light.

Hold onto hope and remember God is there with you in the storm, even when the skies seem dark.

Remember that after the storm, the sun will shine again!

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

Trusting God – 4 Weeks to Find Peace and Strength Through the Storm

Want to learn more? Not sure how to learn to trust God? Trusting God is a 4-week video-based study and devotional to learn to trust God and find his peace and strength through the storms of life. 

This study dives deep into the Scriptures that have been most influential in my own life, learning to turn to God first and trust him with my life. Each chapter focuses one of these four keys to trusting God, exploring examples in Scripture and discussing practical ways to use that key in your life.

>> Click here for more information on the Trusting God study

Ready to find more peace and strength in the hard times of your life? Want a better way to face your trials? Trusting God is the answer and this study will take you through practical steps and guided prayers to learn how to trust God with the storms in your life.

20 Quotes to Remember There is Always Sunshine After the Storm

1) “After every storm there is a rainbow.” ~Shannon Adler

2) “Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles, it empties today of its strength.” ~Corrie Ten Boom

3) “I’m thankful for my struggle, because without it I wouldn’t have stumbled across my strength.” ~Alex Elle

4) “When trouble comes, focus on God’s ability to care for you.” ~Charles Stanley

5) “After a storm comes a calm.” ~Matthew Henry

6) “Every storm runs out of rain, just like every dark night turns into day.” ~Gary Allen

7) “Storms don’t come to teach us painful lessons, rather they were meant to wash us clean.” ~Shannon L. Alder

8) “No storm can last forever. It will never rain 365 days consecutively. Keep in mind that trouble comes to pass, not to stay. Don’t worry! No storm, not even the one in your life, can last forever.” ~Iyanla Vanzant

9) “You can find peace amidst the storms that threaten you.” ~Joseph VB. Wirthlin

10) “Even in the midst of the storm the sun is still shining.” ~Dayna Lovely

11) “If you spend your whole life waiting for the storm, you’ll never enjoy the sunshine.” ~Morris West

12) “No matter what storm you face, you need to know God loves you. He has not abandoned you.” ~Franklin Graham

13) “I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me.” ~Psalm 120:1 (NIV)

14) “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” ~John 16:33 (NIV)

15) “You have been a refuge for the poor,
    a refuge for the needy in their distress,
a shelter from the storm
    and a shade from the heat.
For the breath of the ruthless
    is like a storm driving against a wall
    and like the heat of the desert.
You silence the uproar of foreigners;
    as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud,
    so the song of the ruthless is stilled.” ~Isaiah 25:4-5 (NIV)

16) “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” ~Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

17) “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
    a stronghold in times of trouble.
 Those who know your name trust in you,
    for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” ~Psalm 9:9-10 (NIV)

18) “But now, this is what the Lord says—
    he who created you, Jacob,
    he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.” ~Isaiah 43:1-2 (NIV)

19) “God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging. ~Psalm 46:1-3 (NIV)

20) “If you want to see the sunshine, you have to weather the storm.” ~Frank Lane