Your Storm Didn’t Come to Stay
Isaiah 43:2
When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
My Brother’s and Sisters, there is a truth that the enemy does not want you to understand. Whatever you’re in, whatever you are dealing with, and whatever you are going through is temporary.
You’ve been crying like it’s permanent.
Worrying like it’s permanent.
Losing sleep like it’s permanent.
But I came with a prophetic declaration:
YOUR STORM DIDN’T COME TO STAY!
It came to pass, but not to park.
It came to shape you, and not to shatter you.
It came to reveal God, and not to remove you from God.
When we search the text. The book of Isaiah was written during a turbulent time in Israel’s history.
The people of Judah were facing exile, fear, and national collapse.
But God speaks through the prophet Isaiah not just to comfort, but to redefine their understanding of suffering.
By chapter 43, Israel had already experienced judgment, captivity, and loss. But God speaks something powerful:
He does not say if you go through, but He says WHEN you go through.
This tells us: that storms are inevitable, but destruction is optional when God is present.
God was reminding Israel: You may be in Babylon, but Babylon is not in control of your destiny.
PTMC just because you were born in sin and shaped in iniquity, doesn’t mean that it will shape your destiny.
The Bible says, When thou passest through the waters.
I love the language here because it says when you PASS THROUGH
Not drown in it
Not get stuck in it
You are not leaning and depending on it
But we are passing THROUGH it
May I tell you that the storm is a corridor, not a casket.
Here it is, storms are a passage way to your destination and your destiny.
And here’s what I have learned. Those of you that have been through a storm, can they can tell others how to get out of a storm.
If you haven’t never been in the valley, that means that you don’t have any valley experiences.
But those that have been through.
Those of us that have been broke.
Those of us that have been broken and made it through, we can tell others how to survive the storm.
Noah survived the flood. He can tell you about flood land.
Jonah survived the storm he caused. Jonah can tell you that you don’t have to stay in the shape that you are in.
Paul survived a shipwreck storm. If you have been tossed and driven, batter by an angry sea. Paul can continue how to survive a shipwreck.
Job survived a life storm, he had some ups and downs, but by the grace of God, he made it.
David survived emotional & spiritual storms. And yet he was a man after God‘s own heart.
The Bible says, When thou passest through the waters.
They shall not overflow thee.
The enemy thought this would take you out.
But God said: It will touch you… but it won’t terminate you.”
When thou walkest through the fire.
Wait a minute, did you say walk?
Here it is. God didn’t say run, panic, and collapse…
He said walk.
Because faith doesn’t panic, it progresses.
He says when you walk through the fire Thou shalt not be burned.
The fire is real, the heat is hot,
but the damages is restricted.
If you’re in a storm right now, shout Yes I am
If you’ve been crying, shout Yes I have.
Somebody is going to shout on this one. But if you still believe God is bringing you out, JUST SHOUT YES I DO.
Look at your neighbor and tell them This didn’t come to stay.
Welllllll, I feel the Holy Ghost moving in here right now.
May I tell you that you’ve cried long enough.
You’ve worried long enough.
You’ve carried that burden long enough.
And I can hear the Spirit of the Lord saying enough is enough.
Because what you thought would break you.
Is about to BLESS you.
What you thought would kill you. Is about to MAKE you!
Can I preach it like I feel it?!
The storm said: I’m gonna take you out.
But God told the storm that you don’t have the final say.
The storm said: You’ll never recover.
But God said: I am your restorer.
I hear God saying. I regulated the storm.
I put boundaries on the wind
I told the waves how far they could go.
And the reason you’re still here Is because I said live.
Somebody shout: I’m still here.
Hell threw everything at you.
And you’re STILL HERE.
Depression tried to bury you.
And you’re STILL HERE.
Sickness tried to take your body.
And you’re STILL HERE.
And if you’re still here.
Tell God thank you.
I feel like preaching now…
The same God that kept Noah in the flood.
The same God that kept the Hebrews in the fire.
The same God that kept Daniel in the lion’s den.
Is the SAME GOD keeping YOU right now.
And I hear Him saying:
THE STORM IS ALMOST OVER.
Shake somebody’s hand and tell them:
Neighbor…
I don’t look like what I’ve been through. Because God kept me in the storm.
I’m reminded of a story of
a woman who went through one of the worst seasons of her life.
She lost her job…
Her health started failing…
Bills piled up…
Friends walked away…
And one night, she sat on the edge of her bed and said:
Lord, I can’t take another storm.
But in the middle of her tears, she heard something in her spirit:
What she heard was. This is not your ending, this is your transition.
Weeks later, things didn’t get better immediately.
But slowly, doors started opening.
Her strength started returning.
Peace started coming back.
And one day she looked back and realized:
The storm didn’t destroy me.
And here’s the shout:
She said, If I hadn’t gone through that storm. I would’ve never known how strong God made me.
I need about 10 people, no, I need a church full of people.
That know you’ve been in a storm.
But you can feel it breaking.
Open your mouth and shout: it didn’t come to stay
Shout it’s passing over:
One more time like the devil can hear you: I’m coming out.
Guide me over thy great Jehovah. Pilgrim through this barren we land.
I am weak, but Thou art mighty; Hold me with Thy powerful hand
And if that doesn’t help you move from the storm go to the second verse that says.
Bread of heaven, bread of heaven feed me till I want no more.
